margin of error: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Technical, Academic
Quick answer
What does “margin of error” mean?
An amount by which a calculation or measurement may be wrong and still be acceptable.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An amount by which a calculation or measurement may be wrong and still be acceptable; a permissible degree of deviation.
The degree of latitude for freedom of action or thought within certain limits; the amount by which something can be wrong or fail and still be acceptable.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or grammatical differences. The concept and phrasing are identical in both varieties.
Connotations
Identical connotations of statistical precision and permissible uncertainty in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally frequent in technical, academic, and journalistic contexts in both BrE and AmE.
Grammar
How to Use “margin of error” in a Sentence
a margin of error of [amount]have/allow for a [adjective] margin of errorwithin the margin of erroroutside the margin of errorVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “margin of error” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The survey results were margined for error before publication.
- We must margin our estimates to account for supply delays.
American English
- The data was error-margined by the statistician.
- Always margin your calculations in the initial design phase.
adverb
British English
- The measurements were taken margin-of-error carefully.
- He estimated margin-of-error conservatively.
American English
- She calculated the results error-margin prudently.
- The forecast was prepared very margin-of-error consciously.
adjective
British English
- The margin-of-error calculation is crucial for the report.
- They presented a well-considered, margin-of-error analysis.
American English
- We need the error-margin figures by noon.
- His margin-of-error estimate seemed overly generous.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in forecasting, budgeting, and project planning to denote acceptable variance from targets.
Academic
Central to research methodology in sciences and social sciences, describing statistical uncertainty in results.
Everyday
Used informally to discuss plans where things might go slightly wrong ('We should allow a margin of error in our travel time').
Technical
A precise term in statistics, engineering, surveying, and manufacturing denoting quantified measurement uncertainty.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “margin of error”
Strong
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “margin of error”
- Using 'error margin' (less common, though understood). Using with non-quantifiable concepts ('a margin of error in his opinion'). Confusing with 'margin for error', which is more about a *possibility* for mistake rather than a quantified amount.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Standard error' is a specific statistical measure of variability. 'Margin of error' typically uses the standard error to calculate a range (like in a confidence interval) for a reported estimate.
Yes. Informally, it means 'room for things to go slightly wrong without causing failure,' e.g., 'I've built a margin of error into our schedule.'
'Error margin' is occasionally used and understood, but 'margin of error' is the standard, canonical form, especially in technical writing.
It implies that a difference or change is so small it could be due to measurement or sampling randomness, not a real, meaningful effect.
An amount by which a calculation or measurement may be wrong and still be acceptable.
Margin of error is usually formal, technical, academic in register.
Margin of error: in British English it is pronounced /ˈmɑːdʒɪn əv ˈerə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈmɑːrdʒɪn əv ˈerər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “build in a margin of error”
- “the numbers are within the margin of error”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a MARGIN (blank space) in a notebook labelled 'for ERRORS' – it's the space you allow for mistakes.
Conceptual Metaphor
UNCERTAINTY IS A PHYSICAL BOUNDARY or SPACE (a margin/buffer zone around a measurement).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'margin of error' used most precisely?