variegation

American  

[vair-ee-i-gey-shuhn, vair-i-gey-] / ˌvɛər i ɪˈgeɪ ʃən, ˌvɛər ɪˈgeɪ- /

noun

1. an act of variegating.

2. the state or condition of being variegated; varied coloration.

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Etymology

Origin of variegation

First recorded in 1640–50; variegate + -ion

Explanation

Variegation is the process of making something more diverse, especially in its coloration. The variegation in a plant's leaves can give them a striped or spotted appearance. One long musical note can be made into an interesting tune with some variegation in its pitch and tone. And adding variegation to the color of the ocean in your painting can lend it a more realistic appearance. This noun is often used by botanists (plant scientists) to describe the color variation in blossoms and leaves. The Latin root of variegation is varius, "spotted" or "varying."

Example Sentences

The results are Romantic landscapes in miniature, with the variegation of the stone transforming into fields, skies and mountains whose beauty is further enhanced by the delicate metalwork in which they’re mounted.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

“This variegation decreases their fitness, which makes them more scarce,” Jonard said.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 9, 2021

You can find leaf variegation in hardy lilies, but this decorative aspect is unsurpassed in some tropical lilies.

From Washington Post • Jun. 29, 2021

But these shifts feel deliberate, like the clicking of a slide projector rather than the smooth variegation of a kaleidoscope, and the landscape always clears atop that steady pulse.

From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2016

In no case that I have seen is the variegation at all striking, and, except in tree collections, variegated hornbeams are hardly worth growing.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 421, January 26, 1884 by Various