variety

noun

va·​ri·​e·​ty və-ˈrī-ə-tē 

plural varieties

1

: the quality or state of having different forms or types : multifariousness

2

: a number or collection of different things especially of a particular class : assortment

3

a

: something differing from others of the same general kind : sort

b

: any of various groups of plants or animals ranking below a species : subspecies

4

: variety show

Synonyms of variety

• diversity
• diverseness

Examples of variety in a Sentence

I was surprised by the variety of the choices that were available.

My life needs more variety.

Recent Examples on the Web

The property also hosts a variety of wellness and well-being classes, from sound healing and meditation to yoga, breathwork, and cacao ceremonies. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2026

On top of all that, there were cuts and closures that affected a variety of NASA facilities, libraries, cafeterias, visitor centers, and more. —Big Think, 11 Mar. 2026

The camper is available for a variety of popular midsize and full-size pickup trucks, including staples like the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado and Toyota Tacoma. —New Atlas, 11 Mar. 2026

The first half of the event includes activities that participants rotate through and the second half is an unstructured hangout session where teens can listen to music, complete an art project or play a variety of board, yard and video games. —Pomerado News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French or Latin; Middle French varieté, borrowed from Latin varietāt-, varietās, from varius "having contrasting colors, various entry 1" + -etāt- -etās, variant of -itās -ity

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing variety

• garden-variety
• sub-variety
• variety is the spice of life
• variety meat
• variety show
• variety store

Rhymes for variety

• anxiety
• impiety
• propriety
• satiety
• sobriety
• society
• antianxiety
• intersociety
• contrariety
• impropriety
• inebriety
• notoriety

Kids Definition

variety

noun

va·​ri·​ety

və-ˈrī-ət-ē

plural varieties

1

: the quality or state of having different forms or types

2

: a number or collection of different things : assortment

3

a

: something differing from others of the class to which it belongs

b

: any of various groups of plants or animals within a species that are separated from other groups by characteristics not constant enough or too unimportant to separate species

Medical Definition

variety

noun

va·​ri·​e·​ty və-ˈrī-ət-ē 

plural varieties

: any of various groups of plants or animals ranking below a species : subspecies