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variance

variance

32 7.2
A measure of how much numbers are spread out from their average
  • noun
  • /ˈvɛrɪəns/
  • Specialized
translation icon : varianza
  • The variance in test scores indicated that some students performed much better than others.
  • analysis of variance
  • explained variance
  • variance accounted for

Like if we would proceed to directly fill this into wrenches, then the variance would be quite small.

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Examples

  • The final model accounted for 46% of the variance in scores for this subtest.

    Academic text (2015)
  • The overall language and vocabulary measures accounted for 48.6% of the variance in reading comprehension.

    Academic text (2013)
  • We will look at the variance of your total return.

  • So the bigger the variance, the farther away the numbers are from the mean.

  • OK, now we just want to compute what is the mean and variance of the portfolio.

  • So if we have the mean, the expected return, and then the variance is sort of how spread out all of the observations on average are from that.

  • Together with education, it accounted for 28.7% of the variance observed in the SRTSTAT scores.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Individual differences were explained by 86% of the total variance, a measure of predictive validity.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The variance of the data showed significant differences from the mean value.

  • In statistics, variance helps us understand how spread out the scores are from the average.

Synonyms

variation
vsvariance
113 3.0

A change in amount or condition from what is normal

is a precise numeric measure of dispersion using squared deviations from the mean
variability
vsvariance
29 5.7

The amount that something changes over time or between things

is a specific numeric measure of dispersion based on squared deviations

Antonyms

uniformity
  • Specialized
18 4.6

The state of being the same in all parts

Idioms

at variance
  • Formal
2 7.7

Not in agreement with other people, facts, or ideas

Compounds

analysis of variance
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A way to check if two or more groups have different average values

variance analysis
  • Specialized
6.2

Examining why actual costs are different from planned amounts to find causes

How Different

conflict
397 2.3
contradiction
117 4.3
discrepancy
76 5.6
inconsistency
30 4.8
difference
1.0
variance
  • Specialized
32 7.2

Surface Forms

variance singular
variances plural

Morphology

variance = vary (semi-transparent) = vari + ance

The statistical sense is a domain-specific technicalization of 'degree of variation' from 'vary' + '-ance'; the general relation is visible but the precise mathematical meaning is specialized.

Etymology

The word variance comes from the Latin root var- meaning 'change', the same root in vary and various. In statistics, a variance measures how much numbers 'vary' from the average, so a large variance means the data are spread out.