variety

noun va·ri·e·ty \ və-ˈrī-ə-tē \

|Updated on: 19 Jul 2018

Examples: variety in a Sentence

Definition of variety

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

See variety defined for English-language learners

See variety defined for kids

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 of variety from the Web

Scoops start at $4 and can be topped with a variety of extra sweets, from whipped cream to Reese’s Pieces.

— gwen ashley walters, azcentral, "Edible cookie dough: Where in metro Phoenix to buy dough that's safe to eat," 13 July 2018
Menu items include guacamoles, enchiladas, quesadillas and tacos filled with a variety of meats.

— anna muckerman, baltimoresun.com, "New restaurant Jose Tequilas Mexican Grill and Cantina coming to Owings Mills Square," 13 July 2018
The new development would be more modern, an outdoor mall with a variety of draws and a built-in customer base for the businesses there because of the housing component.

— joshua sharpe, ajc, "What’s going on with plans to tear down, rebuild North DeKalb Mall?," 13 July 2018
Audubon Park has celebrated this event for the past 10 years with a variety of events including a wine and cheese tasting, baguette fencing and live music.

— trevor fraser, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Date Night: Take a culture hop," 12 July 2018
This week, she's dazzled with a variety of looks, sometimes multiple outfit changes in one day, beginning with Prince Louis's christening Monday.

— hannah yasharoff, USA TODAY, "All the details on Duchess Meghan's week of flawless fashion," 12 July 2018
To get the federally compliant driver’s licenses, applicants need to appear in person with a variety of documents.

— michael cabanatuan, SFChronicle.com, "DMV investigates startup that has disrupted appointment process," 11 July 2018
There aren’t nearly as many alleys now, but the remaining ones are reaching out to a younger audience with a variety of entertainment as well as traditional bowling.

— rick barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "New Berlin graphic designer named finalist in bowling shoe makeover contest," 11 July 2018
Ethan Beach and Josh Nasser, the hosts of this long-running series, manage to stack each installment with a variety of comedic talent.

— kasia pilat, New York Times, "4 Comedy Shows to Catch in N.Y.C. This Weekend," 5 July 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of variety

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year