1
as in adjustable
capable of being readily changed
a variable expense that we could reduce if we needed to
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
highly variable income from his job as a real estate agent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in variable star
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of variable
Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 30 July 2025
The Army responded that machines cannot be exact, but when dealing with such close altitudes the variables are concerning.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 30 July 2025
Rosie McCall, Discover Magazine, 28 July 2025
Seedling trees can be very variable as to production.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for variable
Adjective
As overtaking is harder this year due to the amount of dirty air produced by the cars, plus the big weight and dimensions of the machines of this era, removing the variable of strategy can sap away some of the action.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 30 July 2025
The Army responded that machines cannot be exact, but when dealing with such close altitudes the variables are concerning.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 30 July 2025
Noun
This discovery answers the millennia-old question of why this famous star experiences a roughly six-year-long periodic change in its brightness, and provides insight into the physical mechanisms behind other variable red supergiants.
—Rosie McCall, Discover Magazine, 28 July 2025
Seedling trees can be very variable as to production.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for variable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for variable
Adjective
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The consequences would be far reaching and upend an already volatile political world.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Aug. 2025
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The explosion was one of the country’s largest since the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi, the country’s most volatile volcano.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Many of these alerts will be triggered by variable stars, which cyclically change in brightness.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
23 June 2025
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After weeks, months and years of observations, astronomers will have a time-lapse record revealing anything that explodes, flashes or moves – such as supernovas, variable stars or asteroids.—
Samantha Thompson,
Space.com,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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Prioritize Collaboration With Regulators And System Adaptability Collaborate early with regulators and build flexible, adaptable systems, so teams can respond to change without slowing down.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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Osbourne, who died on Tuesday at 76, became a more multifaceted and adaptable thinker than early observers would’ve guessed.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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The best time for aurora spotting is 2 am, when the sky is likely to be the darkest, but since the arrival of the solar storm is unpredictable, it's recommended to look throughout the night for the event.—
Staff Author,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Aug. 2025
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Anyone who has traveled by plane has at least experienced one unpredictable and inconvenient delay or cancellation in their plans.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But a major reason why experts have difficulty finding binary star white dwarfs is because of their trademark ultraviolet emissions.—
Andrew Paul Aug 6,
Popular Science,
6 Aug. 2025
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Astronomers have discovered a rare pair of white dwarfs destined to explode in a spectacular supernova in Earth’s cosmic neighborhood.—
Margherita Bassi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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It’s tailored enough to wear to a daytime celebration or dinner reservation, but soft and flexible for travel days, too.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Aug. 2025
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However, this time it’s been repackaged in a physical design that’s more flexible.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Things are relatively quiet for the moment aboard Enterprise, which is currently studying a neutron star.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
31 July 2025
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While physicists have a somewhat decent understanding of what nuclear material does at the densities found in the outermost layers, the cores of neutron stars remain complete mysteries.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Stars burn like celestial nuclear fusion reactors, quasars emit thousands of times the luminosity of the Milky Way galaxy, and asteroids slam into planets.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 June 2025
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Since both quasars and galaxy mergers happened far more often in the Universe’s first few billion years, the astronomers essentially had to look back in time to see them.—
Paul Smaglik,
Discover Magazine,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Variable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/variable. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.
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