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

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

According to Gallardo, this discrepancy points toward two dramatically different possibilities.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

Officials contend the discrepancy between the computer count and the paper tally is “a good deed that went punished” — the result of exhausted officials being handed an extra-credit project they couldn’t quite execute.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

Upon identifying this discrepancy, a city inspector asked for updated documentation on the steel columns and that wasn’t provided, the Buildings Department said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

And the documents revealed a vast discrepancy between what government officials had been saying publicly and what they knew to be true.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Bringing any discrepancies — which are more common than you’d think — to the provider’s attention can be a good way to open the conversation for negotiation.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

The results settle two long-standing discrepancies in diamond research and bring experimental measurements into close agreement with simulations based on quantum mechanics.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 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

God forbid that comes true, but if it does, this record is proof that Madonna is her discrepancies: She is this, and she is also that.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 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