variance
VAIR-ee-uns
/ˈvɛər.i.əns/
An official exemption granted by a local authority allowing a property owner to bypass specific municipal zoning regulations.
Refers specifically to legal permission to deviate from standard building restrictions (height, setbacks, land use) due to unique physical site hardship.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'varius' (spotted, diverse, changing). The term entered English municipal governance in the early 20th century to describe formal mechanisms for allowing property owners to vary from rigid, city-wide zoning mandates.
Word relationships
- exemption: Exemption is a broad term for immunity from a rule, whereas variance specifically means legal permission to vary building codes.
- exception: Exception implies a general deviation, while variance is a formal municipal approval process.
- compliance: Compliance means strict adherence to rules, whereas a variance is an authorized departure from rules.
Commonly confused with
- variation: Variation describes any general alteration or diversity, while variance in real estate is a formal legal approval to bypass zoning.
Word family
- vary (verb): To change or differ from standard rules.
- variant (noun): A form or version that differs from standard.
Collocations
- zoning variance
- grant a variance
- apply for a variance
- variance request
- hardship variance
Idioms & expressions
- at variance with (in disagreement or conflict with)
Example sentences
- "The board granted a setback variance because the lot's steep slope made standard construction impossible." Municipal Governance
- "The developer requested a height variance to add two extra floors to the downtown apartment complex." Construction
Memory hook
Permission to VARY from strict municipal zoning rules. An official hall pass from zoning rules.
When not to use
Do not confuse with general statistical variance or simple differences of opinion in everyday context.
Fun facts
- To receive a zoning variance, property owners usually must prove that strict adherence would cause exceptional physical hardship due to terrain or lot shape.
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