margin of error
Americannoun
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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.
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Also margin for error 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.
Etymology
Origin of margin of error
First recorded in 1855–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The group surveyed 1,048 likely voters between July 15 and July 17, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percentage points.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
“The margin of error was already slim, and it’s approaching none.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
WSJ/NBC News survey of 1,000 adults, conducted Aug. 10-14, 2019; margin of error: +/- 3.1 pct. pts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
In this case, Smith had multiple IQ scores, ranging from 72 to 78, with a margin of error down to 69.
From Slate ● May 23, 2026
Ptolemy and Copernicus had regarded 10 minutes as precisely the acceptable margin of error.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
