variable

[ vair-ee-uh-buhl ]

/ ˈvɛər i ə bəl /

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See synonyms for: variable / variability / variably on Thesaurus.com

adjective

apt or liable to vary or change; changeable: variable weather;variable moods.

capable of being varied or changed; alterable: a variable time limit for completion of a book.

inconstant; fickle: a variable lover.

having much variation or diversity.

Biology. deviating from the usual type, as a species or a specific character.

Astronomy. (of a star) changing in brightness.

Meteorology. (of wind) tending to change in direction.

Mathematics. having the nature or characteristics of a variable.

noun

something that may or does vary or change; a variable feature or factor.

Mathematics, Computers.

a quantity or function that may assume any given value or set of values.
a symbol that represents this.

Logic. (in the functional calculus) a symbol for an unspecified member of a class of things or statements.Compare bound variable, free variable.

Astronomy. variable star.

Meteorology.

a shifting wind, especially as distinguished from a trade wind.
variables, doldrums (def. 2a).

OTHER WORDS FOR variable

3 vacillating, wavering, fluctuating, unsteady, mercurial.

See synonyms for variable on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR variable

1, 3 constant.

See antonyms for variable on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of variable

First recorded in 1350–1400; late Middle English, from Latin variābilis, equivalent to vari(us) “speckled, variegate, diverse” + -ābilis adjective suffix; see various, -able

OTHER WORDS FROM variable

var·i·a·bil·i·ty

[vair-ee-uh-bil-i-tee], /ˌvɛər i əˈbɪl ɪ ti/, var·i·a·ble·ness, nounvar·i·a·bly, adverbhy·per·var·i·a·ble, adjectivehy·per·var·i·a·bly, adverb

non·var·i·a·ble, adjectivenon·var·i·a·ble·ness, nounnon·var·i·a·bly, adverbun·var·i·a·ble, adjectiveun·var·i·a·ble·ness, nounun·var·i·a·bly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH variable

variable , variant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use variable in a sentence

There was a lot of positive feedback from people interested in non-gender binary people.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She ultimately ditched JSwipe after about a week and found her current, non-Jewish, boyfriend on OkCupid.
My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
An atheist counsels his fellow non-believers on how not to talk to people of faith.
The Case Against In-Your-Face Atheism|Steve Neumann|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The distinction between over-policing and non-responsiveness was alive and well in Bed-Stuy.
Ground Zero of the NYPD Slowdown|Batya Ungar-Sargon|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Last summer, Louisiana also banned non-legal adoption, with offenders facing a penalty of $5,000 and up to five years in prison.
Judge: Rehoming Kids Is Trafficking|Tina Traster|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The expatriated ex-rebels became alarmed by the non-receipt of the indemnity instalment and the news from their homes.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
He also states that the Audiencia is virtually non-existent, and so there is no high court in which justice may be sought.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
It is small in cloudy swelling from toxins and drugs, and variable in renal tuberculosis and neoplasms.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
De moi, je ne say qu'en dire, d'autant que je ne veux affirmer ny le si ny le non en ce dont je n'ay vidence.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Certes le capitaine Merveilles et ses gens monstrerent leur pit non vulgaire.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

British Dictionary definitions for variable

variable

/ (ˈvɛərɪəbəl) /

adjective

liable to or capable of changevariable weather

(of behaviour, opinions, emotions, etc) lacking constancy; fickle

maths having a range of possible values

(of a species, characteristic, etc) liable to deviate from the established type

(of a wind) varying its direction and intensity

(of an electrical component or device) designed so that a characteristic property, such as resistance, can be variedvariable capacitor

noun

something that is subject to variation

maths

an expression that can be assigned any of a set of values
a symbol, esp x, y, or z, representing an unspecified member of a class of objects, numbers, etcSee also dependent variable, independent variable

logic a symbol, esp x, y, z, representing any member of a class of entities

computing a named unit of storage that can be changed to any of a set of specified values during execution of a program

astronomy See variable star

a variable wind

(plural) a region where variable winds occur

Derived forms of variable

variability or variableness, nounvariably, adverb

Word Origin for variable

C14: from Latin variābilis changeable, from variāre to diversify

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for variable

variable

[ vâr′ē-ə-bəl, văr′- ]

adj.

Likely to change or vary; subject to variation; changeable.

Tending to deviate, as from a normal or recognized type; aberrant.

Having no fixed quantitative value.

Something that varies or that is prone to variation.

A quantity that is capable of assuming any of a set of values.

Scientific definitions for variable

variable

[ vâr′ē-ə-bəl ]

A mathematical quantity capable of assuming any of a set of values, such as x in the expression 3x + 2.

A factor or condition that is subject to change, especially one that is allowed to change in a scientific experiment to test a hypothesis. See more at control.

variable

OTHER WORDS FOR variable

OPPOSITES FOR variable

Origin of variable

OTHER WORDS FROM variable

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH variable

Words related to variable

How to use variable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for variable

Derived forms of variable

Word Origin for variable

Medical definitions for variable

Scientific definitions for variable