various

[ vair-ee-uhs ]
See synonyms for: variousvariouslyvariousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. of different kinds, as two or more things; differing one from another: Various experiments have not proved his theory.

  2. marked by or exhibiting variety or diversity: houses of various designs.

  1. presenting or having many different qualities or aspects: a woman of various talent.

  2. having a variety of colors; varicolored.

  3. different from each other; dissimilar.

  4. numerous; many: living at various hotels.

  5. 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.

Origin of various

1
First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin varius “speckled, variegated,” hence “manifold, diverse”; see -ous

Other words for various

Opposites for various

Other words from various

  • var·i·ous·ly, adverb
  • var·i·ous·ness, noun
  • non·var·i·ous, adjective
  • non·var·i·ous·ly, adverb
  • non·var·i·ous·ness, noun

Words Nearby various

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use various in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for various

various

/ (ˈvɛərɪəs) /


determiner
    • several different: he is an authority on various subjects

    • 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

  1. displaying variety; many-sided: his various achievements are most impressive

  2. poetic variegated

  3. obsolete inconstant

Origin of various

1
C16: from Latin varius changing; perhaps related to Latin vārus crooked

usage For various

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

Derived forms of various

  • variously, adverb
  • variousness, noun

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