Discrepancy
Expense reports that refuse to match receipts, polls that miss elections, and scales that disagree with mirrors all get explained with this noun.
Learn This WordMeaning
A difference or inconsistency between two things that should agree, such as figures, accounts, or reports.
Memory trick
DISCREPANCY contains “crep” (crack): a crack between two numbers that should line up.
Examples
The auditor flagged a discrepancy between reported revenue and bank deposits.
There is a striking discrepancy between the poll numbers and the final results.
She noticed a discrepancy in the lab measurements and reran the experiment.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin discrepantia "discord, disagreement," from discrepare "to sound differently," from dis- "apart" + crepare "to rattle, crack."
Usage Notes
A favorite in GMAT data sufficiency and critical reasoning: any mismatch between two data sources is a discrepancy.
Real-life contexts
Use in analysis: "There is a discrepancy between the dashboard and the raw export."
Use in finance: "The audit found a discrepancy of three thousand dollars."
Use in debate: "That discrepancy alone casts doubt on the claim."
Common Mistakes
Discrepancy is countable and specific (a discrepancy between X and Y), not a vague sense of difference.
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Part of Speech
noun
Difficulty
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