varsity

noun

var·​si·​ty ˈvär-sə-tē 

-stē

plural varsities

1

a

: the principal squad representing a university, college, school, or club especially in a sport

b

: regular sense 1c

2

British : university

Examples of varsity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The eighth grader now has the same carpool stop in her first year on varsity. —Ren Clayton, CBS News, 27 Dec. 2025

With two goals apiece from Josh Baker and Justin Thibert, and Bode MacKenzie’s first varsity goal, Shawsheen rolled to a 5-1 win over Danvers in the Lions Cup semifinals. —Kristina Banahan, Boston Herald, 24 Dec. 2025

Torrey Pines High School senior Dominic Rocha was recently named the MVP of the varsity Falcon football squad, honored by his teammates and coaching staff last month. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Dec. 2025

That the school had offered 28 varsity teams, seventh most among all Division I teams, did not make the cuts any less painful. —Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

by shortening from university (with regular late Middle English opening of tautosyllabic er to ar)

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing varsity

• junior varsity

Rhymes for varsity

• sparsity
• intervarsity

Kids Definition

varsity

noun

var·​si·​ty ˈvär-sət-ē 

-stē

plural varsities

: the main team representing a college, school, or club in contests

Etymology

an altered form of versity, itself an old, shortened form of university