| Main Entry: | margin of error1 |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | the permittable or acceptable deviation from the target or a specific value; an allowance for slight error or miscalculation; an allowance for changing circumstances |
| Example: | There is little or no margin of error in brain surgery. |
| Main Entry: | margin of error2 |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | in statistics, a measurement of the accuracy of the results of a survey |
| Example: | The larger the margin of error around an estimated value, the less accurate is the estimated value. |
| margin of error | |
noun | |
| the margin required in order to insure safety; "in engineering the margin of safety is the strength of the material minus the anticipated stress" [syn: margin of safety] |