variable

1 of 2

adjective

var·​i·​able ˈver-ē-ə-bəl How to pronounce variable (audio)
1
a
: able or apt to vary : subject to variation or changes
variable winds
variable costs
2
: characterized by variations
3
: having the characteristics of a variable
4
: not true to type : aberrant
used of a biological group or character
variability noun
variableness noun
variably adverb

variable

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values
b
: a symbol representing a variable
2
a
: something that is variable
b
: a factor in a scientific experiment that may be subject to change
3

Example Sentences

Adjective The winds were light and variable. The loan has a variable interest rate. Noun unemployment and other economic variables
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
That said, the car's continuously variable automatic transmission has a tendency to drone the engine. Nicholas Wallace, Car and Driver, 21 Mar. 2023 Milton Friedman famously found that the time lags are long and variable. Bill Conerly, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023 Like the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, these premium models share support for variable refresh rates of up to 120Hz. Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 14 Mar. 2023 Monetary policy operates with long and variable lags. Jason Furman, WSJ, 2 Mar. 2023 The front is dominated by a 2,800-by-1,752-pixel display with a 120Hz variable refresh rate, while the insides are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ chipset, 128GB storage, and 6GB RAM. PCMAG, 28 Feb. 2023 Some of the data taken included information on salaries and variable compensation between 2013 and 2015, as well as bank account information used for salary payments, the person said, asking not to be named discussing the confidential matter. Sally Bakewell, Bloomberg.com, 14 Feb. 2023 Avocado production is highly variable in the region. The Arizona Republic, 11 Feb. 2023 Power starts with a hybrid setup comprised of a 2.5-liter engine mated to an electrical motor and CVT (continuously variable transmission). Dallas News, 21 Jan. 2023
Noun
The final variable, I, represents mutual information. Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2023 What Tua may not know is that the concussion protocol is imperfect and is not the only variable to consider when deciding whether to return this season. Tara Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Dec. 2022 Heat isn’t the only variable here either: A change in acidity from, say, adding a big squeeze of lemon juice to your simmering broth, might also promote coagulation. Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 20 Nov. 2022 The offense was the variable in the equation, the defense the constant. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Nov. 2022 Another variable: connecting flights and the weather at intermediate airports. Peter Greenberg, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2022 Even Sinema was bracing for another variable, which is arcane to the wider public yet all-consuming in the halls of the Senate: a nonbinding custom called the Byrd rule, administered by an unelected official known as the parliamentarian. Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2022 The one slight variable in the ICE Theaters set-up, the make and mark of each recliner seat might differ from territory to territory, but ICE does maintain firm standards. Ben Croll, Variety, 22 June 2022 But the key variable — the wholesale price of diesel — is not looking good. Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'variable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Late Latin variābilis "changeable," from Latin variāre "to make changeable, vary" + -ābilis -able

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of variable was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near variable

Cite this Entry

“Variable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/variable. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

variable

1 of 2 adjective
vari·​able
ˈver-ē-ə-bəl,
ˈvar-
1
: able to change : likely to be changed
variable winds
2
: having the characteristics of a variable
3
: not true to the usual or normal type
a variable species of wheat
variability noun
variableness
ˈver-ē-ə-bəl-nəs
ˈvar-
noun
variably
-blē
adverb

variable

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a quantity that may take on any one of a set of values
b
: a mathematical symbol representing a variable
2
: something that is variable
3
: a factor in a scientific experiment that may be subject to change
controlled all variables except temperature

Medical Definition

variable

1 of 2 adjective
1
: able or apt to vary : subject to variation or changes
allergy is perhaps the most variable of all diseasesH. G. Rapaport & Shirley Linde
2
: characterized by variations
3
: not true to type : aberrant
used of a biological group or character
variability noun
plural variabilities

variable

2 of 2 noun
: something that is variable

More from Merriam-Webster on variable

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