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Which word shares the same Latin root meaning "to creak, rattle, or crack," with discrepancy?

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discrepancy

American  

[dih-skrep-uhn-see] / dɪˈskrɛp ən si /

Also discrepance

noun

• discrepancies
  plural

1. 

   the state or quality of being discrepant or in disagreement, as by displaying an unexpected or unacceptable difference; inconsistency.

   The discrepancy between the evidence and his account of what happened led to his arrest.

   Synonyms:

   variance, contrariety, discordance, disagreement, incongruity

2. an instance of difference or inconsistency.

   There are certain discrepancies between the two versions of the story.

   Synonyms:

   variation

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discrepancy British  

/ dɪˈskrɛpənsɪ /

noun

1. a conflict or variation, as between facts, figures, or claims

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Usage

Discrepancy is sometimes wrongly used where disparity is meant. A discrepancy exists between things which ought to be the same; it can be small but is usually significant. A disparity is a large difference between measurable things such as age, rank, or wages

Synonym Usage

See difference.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• discrepancies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of discrepancy

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin discrepantia, from discrepant- (stem of discrepāns “sounding discordant”; see discrepant) + -ia -y ³ ( def. )

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Explanation

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

discrepancy discrepancies

This same discrepancy has made the journalism thriller itself feel somewhat archaic.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

The discrepancy between the two accounts couldn’t be immediately reconciled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The discrepancy did not affect the final result, but it did pour fuel on the fire of the conspiracy theories.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

That result eliminated one possible explanation for the discrepancy, but it did not solve the larger mystery.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

As usual, there was a discrepancy between the amount of chocolates reported as sold and the actual money received.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

In Delhi, an analysis by The Hindu newspaper found Muslims accounted for around 20 percent of voters identified with logical discrepancies - compared to 13.6 of the electorate, according to draft rolls.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

She said she, her son and her daughter received notices this year from election authorities that their names had been flagged for discrepancies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

History also gives physicists a reason to pay attention to tiny discrepancies.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

"Information provided regarding the trucking company, driver and vehicles involved contained discrepancies and is currently being investigated."

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

There may be a few little faults in the plumbing and minor discrepancies among the staff, but I’m very confident of my service.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

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Related Words

• difference
• disparity
• distinction
• divergence
• error
• inconsistency
• miscalculation
• variation

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