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

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. )

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

Even a small discrepancy can require the account custodian to apply its own procedures for allocating any remaining amount.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

The controversy arose from the fact that there was a 77-centimetre discrepancy between the officially measured distance of the pit lane and the real shortest route a driver could legally take.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

That could mean that one problematic ballot in a mailing of 10,000 prevents the other 9,999 from being sent until the discrepancy is resolved and the batch checked again.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

That discrepancy ought to be a warning for banks involved, especially since China purchases roughly 90% of Iran’s exported oil.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

Madison’s prudent and silent intervention rescued Jefferson from the secessionist implications of his revolutionary principles and artfully concealed the huge discrepancy between their respective views of the Constitution.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Discussion of those and other discrepancies have been around for a long time.

From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026

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

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

But this online data also shows discrepancies, with a gap of 20,000 between the lowest and highest estimates of missing people.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

Property, the largest concentration of global wealth, is overvalued by up to 50%, using price-to-affordability metrics, although there are significant locational discrepancies.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 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

Related Words

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