variety

[ vuh-rahy-i-tee ]

/ vəˈraɪ ɪ ti /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: variety / varieties on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural va·ri·e·ties.

the state of being varied or diversified: to give variety to a diet.

difference; discrepancy.

a number of different types of things, especially ones in the same general category: a large variety of fruits.

a kind or sort.

a different form, condition, or phase of something: varieties of pastry; a variety of economic reforms.

a category within a species, based on some hereditary difference.

a type of animal or plant produced by artificial selection.

Philately. a stamp differing from others of the same issue through an accident other than an error of an artist or printer.Compare error (def. 8), freak¹ (def. 5).

Also called variety show . entertainment of mixed character, consisting of a number of individual performances or acts, as of singing, dancing, or skits.Compare vaudeville (def. 1).

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of a variety: a variety performer.

OTHER WORDS FOR variety

1 diversity, multiplicity.

3 assortment, collection, group.

4 kind, sort, class, species.

See synonyms for variety on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR variety

1 sameness.

See antonyms for variety on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!

In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”

Question 1 of 7

The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

affect

effect

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of variety

1525–35; <Latin varietās, equivalent to vari(us) various + -etās, variant of -itās-ity after a vowel

usage note for variety

3, 5. As a collective noun, variety, when preceded by a, is often treated as a plural: A variety of inexpensive goods are sold here. When preceded by the, it is usually treated as a singular: The variety of products is small. See also collective noun.

OTHER WORDS FROM variety

non·va·ri·e·ty, noun, plural non·va·ri·e·ties.o·ver·va·ri·e·ty, nounsub·va·ri·e·ty, noun, plural sub·va·ri·e·ties.

Words nearby variety

variegated, variegate porphyria, variegation, varier, varietal, variety, Variety is the spice of life, variety meat, variety store, varifocal, varifocals

How to use variety in a sentence

Instead, they can turn to a variety of websites that let people loan out their cryptocurrency, often for high rates of interest.
Crypto soars again as traders embrace ‘DeFi’ and ‘yield farming’—but some see echoes of the 2017 bubble|Jeff|August 25, 2020|Fortune
The company is also letting consumers apply the 50% bonus they receive when spending rewards points for travel to a variety of other items under a “Pay Yourself Back” program.
Chase’s Sapphire card created a millennial ‘cult.’ Can it last through COVID?|Jeff|August 24, 2020|Fortune
This is a system that assigns trustworthiness scores to individuals, companies, organizations, and governments on the basis of a variety of behaviors.
The Chinese and U.S. Internets are drifting apart. Why that’s bad for the whole world|jakemeth|August 21, 2020|Fortune
This year’s Digiday Media Awards Europe honor a wide variety of publishers, media brands, advertisers and technology companies.
Sky News, Hearst UK and RT are Digiday Media Awards Europe winners|Digiday Awards|August 21, 2020|Digiday

Canoo says this modular approach will allow the company to serve a variety of market segments at reduced cost.
Electric-vehicle startup Canoo to go public, joining the wave of companies chasing Tesla’s success|dzanemorris|August 18, 2020|Fortune
An escort who goes by the name of “Tommy” has experienced a wide variety of female clients.
Career-Minded Women Turn to Male Escorts For No-Strings Fun and (Maybe) Sex|Aurora Snow|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A variety of systems were in place across countries like the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But this approach can be troublesome for a variety of reasons.
The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots|Emily Shire|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Klaus espouses inflammatory views on a variety of subjects, some of which Cato happily embraced.
Vaclav Klaus, Libertarian Hero, Has His Wings Clipped by Cato Institute|James Kirchick|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In this day and age, this “help” comes in a variety of forms, from creative writing courses to ghost writers.
Meet Zoella—The Newbie Author Whose Book Sales Topped J.K. Rowling|Lucy Scholes|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Selections for practice should be chosen which contain much variety of thought and feeling and are smooth in movement.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
Adequate conception of the extent, the variety, the excellence of the works of Art here heaped together is impossible.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
She apparently prefers to paint single figures of women and young girls, but her works include a variety of subjects.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
"Immer eine bunte Reihe machen (Always have a little variety)," said he.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
He distinguished himself in early youth by the variety of studies which he accomplished.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell

British Dictionary definitions for variety

variety

/ (vəˈraɪɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the quality or condition of being diversified or various

a collection of unlike things, esp of the same general group; assortment

a different form or kind within a general category; sortvarieties of behaviour

taxonomy a race whose distinct characters are insufficient to justify classification as a separate species; a subspecies
horticulture stockbreeding a strain of animal or plant produced by artificial breeding

entertainment consisting of a series of short unrelated performances or acts, such as comedy turns, songs, dances, sketches, etc
(as modifier)a variety show

Word Origin for variety

C16: from Latin varietās, from various

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

variety

OTHER WORDS FOR variety

OPPOSITES FOR variety

Origin of variety

usage note for variety

OTHER WORDS FROM variety

Words nearby variety

Words related to variety

How to use variety in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for variety

Word Origin for variety