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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

Affidavit ballots are ones that were not immediately accepted because of a discrepancy such as lacking proper ID on election day.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026

However, the FT and Bloomberg both reported that the discrepancy was tied to differences between how the ChatGPT maker and its rival, Anthropic, determine annualized revenue.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

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

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

That discrepancy led the researchers to consider another possibility.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 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

BBC Verify has found significant discrepancies between two Indian government datasets showing Delhi's air pollution during Diwali, indicating official figures may not have captured the full extent of the problem.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026

Such discrepancies could provide indirect evidence of previously unknown particles.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 10, 2026

Dollar General said it follows pricing practices similar to other retailers, but “despite our policies and procedures, occasional price discrepancies can occur.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

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

Oracular ambiguity or statistical probability provides loopholes, and discrepancies are expunged by Faith.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

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Related Words

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

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