What does discrepancy mean?
A discrepancy is a difference between two or more things that should logically agree — most often between sets of figures, records, statements, or accounts. The word signals that something doesn't quite add up: a receipt that doesn't match a ledger entry, two reports that give conflicting totals, or data points that fail to align with expectation. It is a formal, precise term, heavily used in auditing, accounting, science, law, and journalism, where identifying and explaining discrepancies is central to verifying accuracy. Typically paired with prepositions such as 'between' or 'in', it frequently appears in phrases like 'explain the discrepancy' or 'an apparent discrepancy'. Unlike broader words such as 'difference' or 'disparity', discrepancy specifically implies that agreement was expected, giving it a subtly suspicious or investigative tone. Its plural, discrepancies, is especially common in professional contexts where multiple inconsistencies must be reconciled.
nounA difference between two or more things that should be the same, such as between accounts, reports, or statements of fact; an inconsistency or lack of agreement.
- A difference or inconsistency between two or more things that ought to agree, especially in figures, records, statements, or accounts.
"Auditors discovered a discrepancy between the reported revenue and the actual bank deposits."
"There was a small discrepancy between the two witness statements."
"The accountant was asked to account for every discrepancy in the quarterly report."
Standard plural, widely used in formal and professional writing, especially in auditing, science, and reporting contexts.
"The report listed numerous discrepancies across multiple departments' expense claims."
The word 'discrepancy' literally contains the Latin for 'to creep' — it's the sound of numbers that don't quite creep along together.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of discrepancy
Discrepancy derives from the Latin verb discrepare, meaning 'to sound discordantly' or 'to disagree', formed from dis- ('apart') and crepare ('to creak, rattle, or resound'). It entered English via Old French in the late Middle Ages, with the noun form well established by the early modern period. The same Latin root gave English the adjective 'discrepant', and the underlying root crepare also contributed to words like 'crepitant'. The original image — sounds that clash rather than harmonize — survives in the word's modern sense of facts or figures that fail to agree.
Related word forms
How discrepancy is actually used
Formal to neutral register; common in auditing, accounting, journalism, and scientific contexts. Often used with 'between X and Y' when specifying what fails to match. It carries a slightly technical connotation — in everyday speech, 'difference' or 'mismatch' is often preferred. The plural 'discrepancies' is very common, particularly in professional writing.
Easily confused with discrepancy
Discrepancy implies things that should match but don't (often in records or accounts), while disparity refers more broadly to inequality or difference in condition, amount, or quality.