: able or likely to change or be changed : not always the same
The winds were light and variable.
a variable climate
The loan has a variable interest rate.
plural variables
1
: something that changes or that can be changed : something that varies
unemployment and other economic variables
2
mathematics
: a quantity that can have any one of a set of values or a symbol that represents such a quantity
Cite this Entry
“Variable.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/variable. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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