Synonyms of variation

variation

noun

ˌver-ē-ˈā-shən 

1

as in interpretation

a distinct treatment of something (as a story or a play)

the movie begins with a somewhat irreverent variation on the Nativity story

Synonyms & Similar Words

• interpretation
• take
• version
• riff
• adaptation
• translation

2

as in alteration

the act, process, or result of making different

the latest in a long line of variations in her hair color

Synonyms & Similar Words

• alteration
• difference
• change
• modification
• revision
• shift
• amendment
• revise
• adjustment
• remodeling
• reworking
• fluctuation
• mutation
• redesign
• review
• transformation
• revamping
• remaking
• refashioning
• reform
• redoing
• deformation
• distortion
• oscillation
• correction
• substitution
• conversion
• metamorphosis
• rectification
• displacement
• replacement
• modulation
• regulation
• tweak
• transfiguration
• redo

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fixation
• stabilization

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of variation

To evaluate claims of unfair advantages, strangers may request hormone or genetic testing to look for common biological variations that cisgender children and their parents may not even be aware of. — Megan Gandy, The Conversation, 1 July 2026

Furthermore, as agentic systems find incredibly narrow advantages, the requirements needed to fulfill all those variations quickly outstrip human ability to imagine them. — Phoena Pang, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

The sample was selected by The New York Times in multiple steps to account for differential telephone coverage, nonresponse and significant variation in the productivity of telephone numbers by state. — New York Times, 1 July 2026

The 2020 Democratic presidential primaries, in which every major candidate proposed some variation of a student loan forgiveness program, generated widespread public attention around the issue. — Paxton Honerkamp, CNBC, 2 July 2026