Word of the Day - variance

variance

/ˈvɛːrɪəns/
noun
1 mass noun - The fact or quality of being different, divergent, or inconsistent.
count noun - ‘the stylistic variances of classical dance’
1.1 The state or fact of disagreeing or quarrelling.
1.2 Law - count noun A discrepancy between two statements or documents.
1.3 Statistics - A quantity equal to the square of the standard deviation.
2 US Law - An official dispensation from a rule or regulation, typically a building regulation.

Origin
Middle English via Old French from Latin variantia ‘difference’, from the verb variare (see vary).

==========

Variance from the norm is common. That does not mean being "different" is
accepted. Groups have their rules, written and unwritten. We face peril
if we defy expectations.