varsity

noun

var·​si·​ty ˈvär-sə-tē 

-stē

plural varsities

1

a

: the principal squad representing a university, college, school, or club especially in a sport

b

: regular sense 1c

2

British : university

Examples of varsity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite a one-year age difference, Wilson and Sarno were teammates all these years until last season, when Sarno was on varsity and Wilson played JV. —Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025

Levasseur confirmed that the Elk Grove Thundering Herd varsity football team would still play Friday night’s home game against Merced’s Golden Valley Cougars. —Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025

Callie Delaney scored the lone goal (her first regular-season varsity score) in the second half for Hanover (1-0-0) in a 1-0 win against Silver Lake. —Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 4 Sep. 2025

And his little brother, still a freshman at Antioch, managed to make the varsity team as a cornerback. —Nashville Tennessean, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

by shortening from university (with regular late Middle English opening of tautosyllabic er to ar)

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing varsity

• junior varsity

Rhymes for varsity

• sparsity
• intervarsity

Kids Definition

varsity

noun

var·​si·​ty ˈvär-sət-ē 

-stē

plural varsities

: the main team representing a college, school, or club in contests

Etymology

an altered form of versity, itself an old, shortened form of university