Glossary Term

Variance

Performance MetricsEN

Definition

A measure of the variability in a sample or population. It is calculated as the mean squared deviation (MSD) of the individual values from their common mean. In calculating the MSD, the divisor n is commonly used for a population variance and the divisor n-1 for a sample variance.

Extended Notes

Source: National Cancer Institute, NCI Thesaurus 26.09d, C48918. NCI definition, reproduced without modification under CC BY 4.0. Source identity and definition checked automatically on 2026-10-18. No individual clinical interpretation or human reviewer is asserted.

Also Known As

Variance
Variance — IVD Glossary