discrepancy

/dəˈskrɛpənsi/

/dɪsˈkrɛpənsi/

Other forms: discrepancies

A discrepancy is a lack of agreement or balance. If there is a discrepancy between the money you earned and the number on your paycheck, you should complain to your boss.

There is a discrepancy when there is a difference between two things that should be alike. For example, there can be a wide discrepancy or a slight discrepancy between two objects, stories, or facts. The noun discrepancy is from Latin discrepare "to sound differently," from the prefix dis- "from" plus crepare "to rattle, creak."

Definitions of discrepancy

1. noun

   a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions
   synonyms: disagreement, divergence, variance

   types:

   allowance, leeway, margin, tolerance

   a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits

   type of:

   difference

   the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
2. noun

   an event that departs from expectations
   synonyms: variance, variant

   type of:

   departure, deviation, difference, divergence

   a variation that deviates from the standard or norm