discrepancy

Everyday

1. A difference between two things that should be the same, such as two numbers, accounts or stories. tree →
2. A mismatch that shows something may be wrong. tree →

In the lessons

In maths and science, a discrepancy is a difference between expected and measured results; in detective stories, discrepancies in what people say reveal a lie; in money, between the till and the receipts; phrases: «a discrepancy between», «explain the discrepancy».

Examples

• There was a discrepancy between the two thermometers. tree →
• The detective spotted a discrepancy in the witness's story. tree →
• We found a discrepancy of £2 in the cake sale money. tree →
• Can you explain the discrepancy between your answer and mine? tree →
• The discrepancy was caused by a typo. tree →
• Scientists noticed a discrepancy in the data. tree →
• The register showed 28 pupils, but there were 27: a discrepancy of one. tree →

Note

Countable: discrepancies (y → ies). In maths, the discrepancy is found by subtracting: if one count is 30 and the other is 27, the discrepancy is 3. Formal word; simpler: difference, mismatch.