various

1 of 3

adjective

var·​i·​ous ˈver-ē-əs 

1

: of an indefinite number greater than one

stop at various towns

2

: individual, separate

rate increases granted in the various states

3

a

: 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

variousness noun

various

2 of 3

pronoun

plural in construction

: an indefinite number of separate individuals greater than one

have read various of her essays

variousness

3 of 3

noun

var·​i·​ous·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being various

the infinite variousness of the world

—John Buchan

Synonyms of various

Adjective

• colored
• colorful
• varied

Choose the Right Synonym for various

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

Still, though, there was a roughly 45-minute team period that saw the offense and defense go against each other in various situations. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026

Newman and the team now cater to over 100 various illnesses, including cancer, HIV/AIDS and an array of mental health issues like PTSD and anxiety. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026

The company will fund $6 million in charitable contributions to various nonprofit organizations, with Wenig contributing an additional $1 million to a charity dedicated to protecting First Amendment rights in Ina Steiner’s name. — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

The Triple White look joins February’s Triple Black as the tonal outliers in Williams’ Jellyfish releases, which have typically featured various pops of color. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 29 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin varius "having contrasting colors, of different kinds, changeable" (of uncertain origin) + Middle English -ous, -os -ous

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 6

Pronoun

1877, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing various

• many and various
• various and sundry

Rhymes for various

• carious
• scarious
• aquarius
• cinereous
• gregarious
• hilarious
• malarious
• nefarious
• precarious
• vicarious
• multifarious

Kids Definition

various

adjective

var·​i·​ous

ˈver-ē-əs, 

ˈvar-

1

: of different kinds

2

: different one from another : unlike

animals as various as cat and mouse

3

: having many different characteristics

spring is a various season

4

: made up of an indefinite number greater than one

stopped at various places along the way

variously adverb

variousness noun