variability

American  

[vair-ee-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌvɛər i əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

1. the quality of being subject to change, especially frequent, random, or short-term change: Ensuring effective cooperation in home care is difficult because of the variability of schedules and tasks of both patients and caregivers.

   On a longer time scale, climate variability translates into shortages of food and water worldwide.

   Ensuring effective cooperation in home care is difficult because of the variability of schedules and tasks of both patients and caregivers.

2. the quality of including different kinds, or of being different from one case to the other; diversity.

   Healthcare administrators noted the variability among nursing education programs and called for standardization.

---

Other Word Forms

• hypervariability
  noun
• nonvariability
  noun

Etymology

Origin of variability

variable ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Explanation

The weather in San Francisco is known for its variability. One minute it's summer and the next, winter. Variability means the tendency to shift or change — of being "variable." There are many words that contain vari-, and they almost all have to do with change or difference. Variability is the noun version of this idea. The variability of the weather means that you never know exactly what to wear. T-shirt or sweater: the choices vary along with the weather. Many things are known for their variability: the taste of teenagers, the talent of the singers on "American Idol," Frank Sinatra's moods. These are just some of the things that exhibit real variability.

Example Sentences

Defence minister Luke Pollard said an investigation found the symptoms were likely caused by "a combination of factors" including technical issues, training variability, cold exposure and air quality.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

These include health data, including your heart rate and heart rate variability, blood oxygen, sweat and stress levels, behavioral patterns, neurological changes and even brain waves.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026

The results suggest that introducing controlled variability into movement patterns may improve flow in many real-world systems, from factory floors to city streets.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

Of course, no two retailers are the same, which explains the variability.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

If the base sequences were always the same, all DNA molecules would be identical and there would not exist the variability that must distinguish one gene from another.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Related Words

• anxiety
• fluctuation
• insecurity
• uncertainty
• volatility
• vulnerability
• weakness