variation

American  

[vair-ee-ay-shuhn] / ˌvɛər iˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

• variations
  plural

1. the act, process, or accident of varying in condition, character, or degree.

   Prices are subject to variation.

   Synonyms:

   difference, divergence, deviation, modification, alteration, mutation

2. an instance of this.

   There is a variation in the quality of fabrics in this shipment.

3. amount, rate, extent, or degree of change.

   a temperature variation of 40° in a particular climate.

4. a different form of something; variant.

5. Music.

   1. the transformation of a melody or theme with changes or elaborations in harmony, rhythm, and melody.

   2. a varied form of a melody or theme, especially one of a series of such forms developing the capacities of the subject.

6. Ballet. a solo dance, especially one forming a section of a pas de deux.

7. Astronomy. any deviation from the mean orbit of a heavenly body, especially of a planetary or satellite orbit.

8. Also called magnetic declination, magnetic variation. Navigation. the angle between the geographic and the magnetic meridian at a given point, expressed in plus degrees east or minus degrees west of true north.

9. Biology. a difference or deviation in structure or character from others of the same species or group.

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variation British  

/ ˌvɛərɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act, process, condition, or result of changing or varying; diversity

2. an instance of varying or the amount, rate, or degree of such change

3. something that differs from a standard or convention

4. music

   1. a repetition of a musical theme in which the rhythm, harmony, or melody is altered or embellished

   2. ( as modifier )

      variation form

5. biology

   1. a marked deviation from the typical form or function

   2. a characteristic or an organism showing this deviation

6. astronomy any change in or deviation from the mean motion or orbit of a planet, satellite, etc, esp a perturbation of the moon

7. another word for magnetic declination

8. ballet a solo dance

9. linguistics any form of morphophonemic change, such as one involved in inflection, conjugation, or vowel mutation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intervariation
  noun
• nonvariation
  noun
• overvariation
  noun
• prevariation
  noun
• self-variation
  noun
• variational
  adjective
• variative
  adjective
• variationally
  adverb
• variatively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• variations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of variation

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin variātiōn-, stem of variātiō; equivalent to variate + -ion; replacing Middle English variacioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above

Explanation

Variation means a deviation from the norm, like the variation of colors in nature. A variation from an accepted standard can be very important. For example, a variation in a heartbeat pattern can tell a doctor that a heart attack might be imminent. The variation in weather temperatures from what is expected indicates that our climate is changing due to global warming. But not all variation is a bad thing. For example, even within breeds, there is a wide variation in the coloration of dogs, a trait that makes each puppy uniquely lovable.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

variation variations

The team also discovered a genetic variation associated with substantially higher levels of ImP in the bloodstream.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

There is variation between different stations in the West too - sometimes as much as 11p per litre for petrol - even if you discount motorway service stations that typically charge a premium.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

This argument would essentially function as a variation on the so-called dormant commerce clause by inferring implied constitutional constraints on states’ sovereign powers.

From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026

This is a current variation on roasted tomato soup I’ve been making a lot recently: warmly spiced with garam masala, fennel and coriander, rounded out with miso and coconut cream.

From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026

By 1475, in one or another variation, this was the standard belief.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

On tabletops with less abstract design, such as one with a skull depicted, differences in glazing and firing mean there are variations in the hue and colors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Small variations in magnetic field strength cause the structure to produce a subtle "wobble," potentially allowing an organism to extract detailed information about its geographic position.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

A partita is a musical work made of different pieces and variations, and the book charts Livia’s attempt to form something whole, if inconsistent, from the clashing elements of her personal history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Asked if weather is a factor that has contributed to the issues, Lloyd said that short-term weather patterns and regional variations do have an impact.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

They invented endless variations: but nobody who performed a variation had not also performed the basic experiment.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• abnormality
• alteration
• change
• deviation
• discrepancy
• disparity
• divergence
• diversity
• fluctuation
• innovation
• modification
• mutation
• shift
• variety