price variation

USAGE SUMMARY

"price variation" is correct and usable in written English.
This phrase is most commonly used to refer to changes in the price of something over time. For example, "Sales of this item tend to increase with seasonal price variations."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

For certain medicines tremendous price variation was observed for brand, highest-priced and lowest-priced generic available at the surveyed facilities.

BMC Health Services Research

The slightest price variation can have a significant impact on their economies.

The Guardian

Price variation is a technique borrowed from retailers, who often mark down merchandise if it hasn't sold quickly.

The New York Times - Tech

This price variation was twice as big as in the United States.

The Economist

In finance research, it's a major victory if you can explain half of one per cent of the price variation with your model.

The New Yorker

In the 1980's and 90's, producers sharply raised prices and eliminated much of the price variation within a given theater.

The New York Times

"There will be acute interest and focus on prices and price variation," said Ron Fontanetta, a benefits consultant at Towers Watson, who said that programs like this represented one approach.

The New York Times - Health

You'll find huge price variation in the machines we've recommended, with the most expensive generally being the most automated and making the cup of coffee a barista would be most proud of.

Independent

However, both its flagwavers and protesters will note that higher education is still far from a fully functioning market given the lack of price variation, the cost of funding student places and, perhaps most importantly, the inability of students to easily compare quality across universities.

The Guardian

The report argues that far from introducing more diverse learning models, the 2012 reforms, which followed the 2011 higher education white paper, "have resulted in zero price variation, little expansion of new offers for students and minimal innovation in teaching and learning".

The Guardian

Analyst Andy Chambers at Cantor Fitzgerald said: Ahead of tomorrow's 2013 results BAE has this morning announced that the UK and Saudi governments have agreed the price variation on the Salam contract for the supply of 72 aircraft to the kingdom.

The Guardian - Business

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "price variation" when you need to describe a spread of prices across different regions, retailers or product tiers in a formal or analytical context.

Common error

Avoid using "price variation" if you exclusively mean that a price is going up and down over a timeline; in those cases, "price fluctuation" is often a more precise choice.

Linguistic Context

In the examples provided by Ludwig, the phrase functions as a compound noun used to identify the phenomenon of non-uniform pricing. It is frequently the subject of a sentence or the object of a preposition (e.g. "due to "price variation"").

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Social Media

2%

Wiki

3%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "price variation" is a robust and sophisticated term that is essential for clear communication in economics, science and business journalism. Ludwig AI highlights its utility in describing both the differences between prices at one point in time (spatial variation) and changes over a duration (temporal variation). By using this term, writers achieve a higher level of professional precision, especially when compared to more colloquial alternatives. Whether you are analyzing healthcare costs or retail trends, "price variation" is the gold standard for describing the multifaceted nature of cost differences.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

price fluctuation

Focuses more on the rise and fall of prices over a specific period of time

price volatility

Implies rapid, frequent and often unpredictable changes in market value

pricing differences

Emphasizes the gap between different price points for similar goods

cost variance

Often used in accounting to describe the difference between actual and expected costs

market price changes

Specifies that the price movement is driven by market forces

rate disparity

Refers to a notable and often unfair difference in pricing or interest rates

price swings

Uses more informal language to describe dramatic changes in cost

value variation

Focuses on the change in perceived or intrinsic worth rather than just the tag price

charge variations

Specifically refers to changes in fees or service costs rather than product prices

unit price discrepancy

Highlights a lack of consistency in the price per individual item

FAQs

How to use "price variation" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe inconsistencies in cost, for example: "There is a significant "price variation" for medical procedures between different hospitals."

What is the difference between "price variation" and price volatility?

While both involve change, "price volatility" usually refers to rapid or unstable changes, whereas "price variation" can simply describe the range of prices available at a single moment.

Can I use cost variance instead of "price variation"?

You can use "cost variance" if you are writing a financial or budget report, but "price variation" is better for general consumer or economic contexts.

Is it better to say "price variation" or price difference?

It depends on the tone; "price difference" is more common in everyday speech, while "price variation" is preferred in academic and professional writing.