various

adjective

var·i·ous | \ ˈver-ē-əs

Definition of various

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of an indefinite number greater than one stop at various towns

2 : individual, separate rate increases granted in the various states

3a : of differing kinds : multifarious

b : dissimilar in nature or form : unlike

4 : varicolored birds of various plumage

5 : having a number of different aspects or characteristics a various place

6 archaic : variable, inconstant

various

pronoun, plural in construction

Definition of various (Entry 2 of 2)

: an indefinite number of separate individuals greater than one have read various of her essays

Other Words from various Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about various

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Choose the Right Synonym for various

Adjective

different, diverse, divergent, disparate, various mean unlike in kind or character. different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness. different foods diverse implies both distinctness and marked contrast. such diverse interests as dancing and football divergent implies movement away from each other and unlikelihood of ultimate meeting or reconciliation. went on to pursue divergent careers disparate emphasizes incongruity or incompatibility. disparate notions of freedom various stresses the number of sorts or kinds. tried various methods

Examples of various in a Sentence

Adjective

He has lived in places as various as New York and Beijing. for their various and bizarrely shaped plumage, males of the bird of paradise species have few rivals

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

There are various over-the-counter anti-fungal treatments available, the Mayo Clinic explains. — Patia Braithwaite, SELF, "Yes, You Really Should Wear Shower Shoes in the Gym Locker Room," 12 June 2019 More recently, residents have expressed concern about large assessments related to mill-and-overlay projects in various parts of the city, but that kind of project is not eligible for opt-outs by petition. — Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, "Looking to opt out of street work? In St. Paul, you may be out of luck," 11 June 2019 The body parts could be shipped to various parts of the country and the world. — Stephanie Innes, azcentral, "5 things you need to know before donating your body to science," 10 June 2019 Further along in the tour, Shreves leads the tour group inside a walk-in freezer where there are more wrapped body parts in bins with labels for various body parts, including spines, heads and fingertips. — Stephanie Innes, AZCentral.com, "Arizona is a hotbed for the cadaver industry, and potential donors have plenty of options," 10 June 2019 La Villa Hispana’s people, business developments and cultural events are being explored through various embedded reporting projects in the 12-week series. — Anne Nickoloff, cleveland.com, "FreshWater Cleveland’s La Villa Hispana ‘On the Ground’ series: Local arts, new businesses, more," 7 June 2019 In Germany, pride celebrations continue into the month of July for a European LGBT event known as Christopher Street Day that occurs on different days in various parts of Europe. — NBC News, "Trump admin tells U.S. embassies they can't fly pride flag on flagpoles," 7 June 2019 This group could easily dominate the AAC; conversely, the various parts could be an awkward fit, as there are a lot of guys who need the ball. — Jeremy Woo, SI.com, "Top 25 Reset: How Draft Decisions Changed Our 2019-20 Preseason Rankings," 5 June 2019 Perhaps the character or the unity of other nations seems obvious to Americans, and our own character elusive or too various. — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, "Are You, or Have You Ever Been, an American?," 4 June 2019

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