varsity

American  

[vahr-si-tee] / ˈvɑr sɪ ti /

noun

plural

varsities

1. any first-string team, especially in sports, that represents a school, college, university, or the like.

   He is on the varsity in tennis and in debating.

2. Chiefly British Informal. university.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a university or school team, activity, or competition.

   a varsity debater.

varsity British  

/ ˈvɑːsɪtɪ /

noun

1. informal university, formerly used esp at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge

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Other Word Forms

• intervarsity adjective

Etymology

Origin of varsity

1840–50; compare versity university, in 17th century; pronunciation probably preserves historical outcome of Middle English ĕr, as in varmint

Compare meaning

How does varsity compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• varsity vs. junior varsity

Example Sentences

At times if you squinted, it really looked like the varsity versus the JV.

From The Wall Street Journal

The priority is getting on scouts’ radar as quickly as possible—and a season or two on junior varsity is unacceptable.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We knew what to expect playing them and between the first and second quarters coach told us to work on our transition,” said Barragan, one of 14 underclassmen on the varsity roster.

From Los Angeles Times

She holds a master’s degree from the Columbia School of Journalism and a bachelor’s degree from Yale University, where she played varsity ice hockey and lacrosse.

From The Wall Street Journal

Cayman Martin, Crespi: He played junior varsity last season as a sophomore after moving from Japan and has been a revelation with each game.

From Los Angeles Times