margin of error

[ mahr-jin uhv er-er ]

noun

1. Statistics. a deviation above or below a given statistic encompassing the range within which the true value is most likely to fall, equal to one-half the span of the confidence interval:

   The poll of likely voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

2. Also mar·gin for er·ror. an amount of extra space, time, resources, etc., allowed to account for mistakes, miscalculations, or altered circumstances:

   The margin of error in the restaurant business is usually razor thin.

   There’s no margin for error with this new deadline, because you’re handing in final papers the day before grades are due.

Word History and Origins

Origin of margin of error¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

The margin of error is about 2 percentage points.

From Los Angeles Times

The opinion polls had Kamala Harris and Donald Trump essentially tied for months with the margin of error showing that either side could have had a blowout.

From Salon

The Cook Political Report has rated the contest a toss-up for weeks, with recent polls showing razor-thin leads for both candidates that fall within the roughly 3% margin of error.

From Salon

It remains within the margin of error for being a top issue.

From BBC

Most of the final polls are well within the margin of error, both nationally and in the seven key battleground states that will decide the election.

From BBC