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.

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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

"It is a significant temperature change for this region," says Dr Mahyar Mohtadi, co-author of the study and head of the Low Latitude Climate Variability group at MARUM.

From Science Daily • Nov. 3, 2023

Variability in stream flows, causing periodic droughts or floods that destroy fish nests, are another concern, Buffington added.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 15, 2022

Variability is the term used to describe the differences that may occur in these outcomes.

From Textbooks • Mar. 27, 2020

Variability in the gut microbiome, Knight notes, helps to explain why people respond differently to the same foods.

From The Guardian • Mar. 26, 2018

Lastly, we have to consider Darwin's opinion touching the important principle of "Independent Variability."

From Darwin, and After Darwin (Vol 3 of 3) Post-Darwinian Questions: Isolation and Physiological Selection by Romanes, George John

Related Words

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