various

[vair-ee-uhs]

adjective

1. of different kinds, as two or more things; differing one from another.

   Various experiments have not proved his theory.

   Antonyms: similar, uniform, same, identical

2. marked by or exhibiting variety or diversity.

   houses of various designs.

   Synonyms: sundry

3. presenting or having many different qualities or aspects.

   a woman of various talent.

   Synonyms: divers, varied, variegated, diversified

4. having a variety of colors; varicolored.

5. different from each other; dissimilar.

6. variant.

7. numerous; many.

   living at various hotels.

8. individual (in a group, class, kind, etc.); separate.

   permission from various officials in Washington.

pronoun

1. Informal.,  several, many, or numerous ones.

   I spoke with various of them.

various

/ ˈvɛərɪəs /

determiner

1. 1. several different

      he is an authority on various subjects

   2. not_standard,  ( as pronoun; followed by of )

      various of them came

adjective

1. of different kinds, though often within the same general category; diverse

   various occurrences

   his disguises are many and various

2. (prenominal) relating to a collection of separate persons or things

   the various members of the club

3. displaying variety; many-sided

   his various achievements are most impressive

4. poetic,  variegated

5. obsolete,  inconstant

Usage

The use of different after various should be avoided: the disease exists in various forms (not in various different forms )

Other Word Forms

• variously adverb
• variousness noun
• nonvarious adjective
• nonvariously adverb
• nonvariousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of various¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin varius “speckled, variegated,” hence “manifold, diverse”; -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of various¹

C16: from Latin varius changing; perhaps related to Latin vārus crooked

Example Sentences

Social media users in Afghanistan have been complaining about limited access to different platforms in various provinces since Tuesday.

From BBC

His clips use various spellings of his name.

From BBC

Previously home to various insurance and finance firms, it made up part of the Square Mile's financial ecosystem, and was inspired by Lever House in New York.

From BBC

Artists hail from various ethnic groups and Nigeria's huge diaspora gets a look-in as well.

From BBC

Before the law came into force, various government statements suggested they were expecting around 10,000 XL bullies to be registered.

From BBC

Related Words

• assorted 
• different 
• discrete 
• disparate 
• distinct 
• diverse 
• diversified 
• individual 
• numerous 
• separate 
• sundry 
• varied 

When To Use

What are other ways to say various?

Various means “of different kinds” or “differing one from another.” How does various compare to different, distinct, and diverse? Find out on Thesaurus.com.