VARIOUS Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'various' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of various are different , disparate , divergent , and diverse . While all these words mean "unlike in kind or character," various stresses the number of sorts or kinds. // tried various methods

Q: When could 'different' be used to replace 'various'?

While the synonyms different and various are close in meaning, different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness. // different foods

Q: When is it sensible to use 'disparate' instead of 'various'?

The synonyms disparate and various are sometimes interchangeable, but disparate emphasizes incongruity or incompatibility. // disparate notions of freedom

Q: When would 'divergent' be a good substitute for 'various'?

Although the words divergent and various have much in common, divergent implies movement away from each other and unlikelihood of ultimate meeting or reconciliation. // went on to pursue divergent careers

Q: When is 'diverse' a more appropriate choice than 'various'?

In some situations, the words diverse and various are roughly equivalent. However, diverse implies both distinctness and marked contrast. // such diverse interests as dancing and football

various

adjective

ˈver-ē-əs

Definition of various next

as in colored

marked by a variety of usually vivid colors for their various and bizarrely shaped plumage, males of the bird of paradise species have few rivals

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word various different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of various are different, disparate, divergent, and diverse. While all these words mean "unlike in kind or character," various stresses the number of sorts or kinds.

tried various methods

When could different be used to replace various?

While the synonyms different and various are close in meaning, different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness.

different foods

When is it sensible to use disparate instead of various?

The synonyms disparate and various are sometimes interchangeable, but disparate emphasizes incongruity or incompatibility.

disparate notions of freedom

When would divergent be a good substitute for various?

Although the words divergent and various have much in common, divergent implies movement away from each other and unlikelihood of ultimate meeting or reconciliation.

went on to pursue divergent careers

When is diverse a more appropriate choice than various?

In some situations, the words diverse and various are roughly equivalent. However, diverse implies both distinctness and marked contrast.

such diverse interests as dancing and football

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of various Filmmaker Ash Koosha, who is from Tehran but left Iran in 2009, made the 75-minute film for around $2,000 using various AI services for video generation, language editing, research, and imagery, according to Variety. —

Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2026 Without it, the films in the main competition and various sidebars of the fest are left alone to hold up the pageantry and scrutiny the annual event demands. —

Alison Willmore, Vulture, 27 May 2026 Among those destination countries, Mexico has received the most migrants of various nationalities, with 12,977, followed by Honduras, with 1,352, and Canada, with 1,066, the report says, based on statistics obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. —

Mauricio Torres, CNN Money, 27 May 2026 For several sessions, legislative Democrats have proposed various rent control measures. —

Editorial, Boston Herald, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for various

Recent Examples of Synonyms for various

Adjective

In the Menil work, the central character is an artist brandishing a bouquet of colored pencils, surrounded by a seraphic tumble of monochrome extras that are her handiwork.

— Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
The ones still managing to a colored dashboard will be answering for it.

— Yonesy Nunez, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026