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

Cable-cutters can also stream the fest live online through a variety of live TV streamers such as DirecTV (which offers a 5-day free trial) and Sling TV. — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026

It’s unscented, easy to use, and works wonders on a variety of surfaces, including baseboards, tile, and grout. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026

Attendees included representatives from a variety of fashion brands, from Adidas, Calvin Klein, Levis, Lagerfeld, Lacoste and Guess to New Balance, Nike, Next and Triumph. — Cathrin Schaer, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2026

The typical homeowners insurance policy puts financial limits on coverage in a variety of ways — for example, by excluding certain types of disasters or capping payouts for certain items or types of damage. — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 26 Sep. 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

• gaiety
• piety
• antianxiety
• intersociety
• anxiety
• impiety
• propriety
• satiety
• sobriety
• society
• contrariety
• impropriety

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