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

Debuted at Fanatics Fest NYC in June 2025, the capsule collection consists of a varsity-style bomber jacket and a mesh basketball jersey. —Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

Donaldson played four years of varsity basketball in high school and led the team to the state championship under coach Charlie Ward, who won the Heisman trophy as an FSU quarterback and went on to play nine years in the NBA. —Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 21 Nov. 2025

The brown suede hats tie back to classic Von Dutch materials, while the Ts and varsity jacket stay minimal and modern. —Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 21 Nov. 2025

Anna Marie Kepner was a senior and member of the varsity cheerleading squad at Temple Christian School, a private K-12 Baptist school in Titusville, Florida, about 40 miles east of Orlando, Fox News Digital reported previously. —Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 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