various

[vair-ee-uhs]

adjective

1. of different kinds, as two or more things; differing one from another.

   Various experiments have not proved his theory.

   Antonyms: similar, uniform, same, identical

2. marked by or exhibiting variety or diversity.

   houses of various designs.

   Synonyms: sundry

3. presenting or having many different qualities or aspects.

   a woman of various talent.

   Synonyms: divers, varied, variegated, diversified

4. having a variety of colors; varicolored.

5. different from each other; dissimilar.

6. variant.

7. numerous; many.

   living at various hotels.

8. individual (in a group, class, kind, etc.); separate.

   permission from various officials in Washington.

pronoun

1. Informal.,  several, many, or numerous ones.

   I spoke with various of them.

various

/ ˈvɛərɪəs /

determiner

1. 1. several different

      he is an authority on various subjects

   2. not_standard,  ( as pronoun; followed by of )

      various of them came

adjective

1. of different kinds, though often within the same general category; diverse

   various occurrences

   his disguises are many and various

2. (prenominal) relating to a collection of separate persons or things

   the various members of the club

3. displaying variety; many-sided

   his various achievements are most impressive

4. poetic,  variegated

5. obsolete,  inconstant

Usage

The use of different after various should be avoided: the disease exists in various forms (not in various different forms )

Other Word Forms

• variously adverb
• variousness noun
• nonvarious adjective
• nonvariously adverb
• nonvariousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of various¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin varius “speckled, variegated,” hence “manifold, diverse”; -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of various¹

C16: from Latin varius changing; perhaps related to Latin vārus crooked

Example Sentences

Now, chefs of various cultural backgrounds are trying to get in on the action by crafting turkey dishes that speak to their roots.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They host pub quizzes, Christmas dinners and various other events.

Read more on BBC

When energy is running low, hormones such as adrenaline activate HSL, prompting it to free fat that can then supply various organs.

Read more on Science Daily

"This is not a monopoly. Consettur is made up of 12 different companies with various partners."

Read more on BBC

It walked them through different prepared sales scripts, explaining how to overcome various objections and even detailing the exact motions they should make while speaking.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• assorted 
• different 
• discrete 
• disparate 
• distinct 
• diverse 
• diversified 
• individual 
• numerous 
• separate 
• sundry 
• varied 

When To Use

What are other ways to say various?

Various means “of different kinds” or “differing one from another.” How does various compare to different, distinct, and diverse? Find out on Thesaurus.com.