var ‧ i ‧ ance AC /ˈveəriəns $ ˈver-/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ variable , ↑ variance , ↑ variant , ↑ variety , ↑ variability , ↑ variation ; adjective : ↑ variable ≠ ↑ invariable , ↑ varied , ↑ various ; adverb : ↑ variably ≠ ↑ invariably , ↑ variously ; verb : ↑ vary ]
1 . be at variance (with somebody/something) formal if two people or things are at variance with each other, they do not agree or are very different:
Tradition and culture are often at variance with the needs of modern living.
2 . [uncountable and countable] formal the amount by which two or more things are different or by which they change ⇨ differential :
a price variance of 5%
3 . [countable] American English law the official permission to do something different from what is normally allowed:
The developer requested a variance to build a shopping center on the east side of town.