variety

[ vuh-rahy-i-tee ]
/ vəˈraɪ ɪ ti /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR variety ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural va·ri·e·ties.

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of a variety: a variety performer.

Origin of variety

1525–35; < Latin varietās, equivalent to vari(us) various + -etās, variant of -itās -ity after a vowel

usage note for variety

3, 5. As a collective noun, variety, when preceded by a, is often treated as a plural: A variety of inexpensive goods are sold here. When preceded by the, it is usually treated as a singular: The variety of products is small. See also collective noun, number.

OTHER WORDS FROM variety

non·va·ri·e·ty, noun, plural non·va·ri·e·ties. o·ver·va·ri·e·ty, noun sub·va·ri·e·ty, noun, plural sub·va·ri·e·ties.

Words nearby variety

variegate porphyria, variegated, variegation, varier, varietal, variety, variety is the spice of life, variety meat, variety store, varifocal, varifocals

Words related to variety

mixture, diversity, variation, range, collection, assortment, array, change, soup, category, kind, description, nature, brand, breed, character, strain, quality, medley, multiplicity

Example sentences from the Web for variety

British Dictionary definitions for variety

variety
/ (vəˈraɪɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the quality or condition of being diversified or various
a collection of unlike things, esp of the same general group; assortment
a different form or kind within a general category; sort varieties of behaviour
  1. taxonomy a race whose distinct characters are insufficient to justify classification as a separate species; a subspecies
  2. horticulture stockbreeding a strain of animal or plant produced by artificial breeding
  1. entertainment consisting of a series of short unrelated performances or acts, such as comedy turns, songs, dances, sketches, etc
  2. (as modifier)a variety show

Word Origin for variety

C16: from Latin varietās, from various