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variety Definition

va·ri·ety (və rī′ə tē)

noun pl. -·ties

  1. the state or quality of being various or varied; absence of monotony or sameness
  2. a different form of some thing, condition, or quality; sort; kind varieties of cloth
  3. a number of different things thought of together; collection of varied things a variety of items in the attic
  4. Brit. variety show
    1. Biol., loosely a group having characteristics of its own within a species or subspecies; subdivision of a species
    2. Bot. a variant form of wild plants that has been recognized as a true taxon ranking below subspecies, even though it may have been brought under cultivation: e.g., cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
    3. Zool. any of a group of widely separated variants within a single interbreeding population

Etymology: Fr variété < L varietas

adjective

of or in a variety show

variety Synonyms

variety

n.

  1. Quality or state of being diverse

    diversity, change, diversification, difference, variance, medley, mixture, mélange, potpourri, miscellany, disparateness, divergency, variation, incongruity, fluctuation, shift, change, modification, departure, heterogeneity, many-sidedness, unlikeness.

  2. Sort

    kind, class, division, species, genus, race, tribe, family, assortment, type, stripe, nature, kidney, ilk, character, description, rank, grade, category, classification, quality.

    Antonyms equality*, equalness, similarity.

variety Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • source: I used a variety of sources to find the cheapest flight.
  • topic: This site has been made in-depth, covering a wider variety of topics.. .
  • reason: Blogging can be done for a variety of reasons.
  • setting: To help get colors right there are also a variety of white balance settings available.
  • background: Students enrolled on the program come from a variety of backgrounds.
  • method: The module sessions will incorporate a variety of methods.

Converse of object

  • offer: The units offer a variety of learning objects designed to appeal to the range of learning styles.
  • cover: We aim to provide events covering a variety of subjects.
  • encompass: A sophisticated metadata set can encompass a wide variety of information about an object.
  • contain: These borders of mixed planting contain a wide variety of plants, threaded together.

Adjective modifier

  • wide: These borders of mixed planting contain a wide variety of plants, threaded together.
  • huge: All of the money helps children - through a huge variety of projects, many of which would not be possible without our assistance.
  • rich: The School offers a rich variety of practical music making.
  • infinite: SGML supports an infinite variety of document structures and is independent of any specific hardware or software.
  • enormous: Continuous grazing encourages an enormous variety of plants including many spectacular flowers.
  • great: A great variety of music catering for all ages.

Noun used with modifier

  • grape: But could you identify ten of the most common grape varieties?
  • rice: These rice varieties have used Indian and Pakistani varieties.
  • tomato: This lovely little tomato variety produce a great abundance of deep red colored, smooth, plum shaped tomatoes with a tender skin.
  • biotech: The successful development of additional biotech varieties for pest management could have similar impact on other crops.
variety Quotes

Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters, without any ideas; how comes it to be furnished? Whence comes it by that vast store which the busyand boundless fancy of man has painted on it with an almost endless variety? Whence has it all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer, in one word, from experience.

—Locke,John

So two cheers for democracy: one because it admits varietyand two because it permits criticism. Two cheers are quite enough: there is no occasion to give three. Only Love the Beloved Republic deserves that.

—Forster, E(dward) M(organ)

Simplicity, without variety, is wholly insipid.

—Hogarth,William

Variety is the soul of pleasure.

—Behan, Brendan Francis

Variety's the spice of life, That gives it all its flavour.

—Cowper,William

Browse dictionary entries near variety

  1. ‹ varietal
  2. ‹ varier
  3. ‹ variegation
  4. ‹ variegated
  5. ‹ variegate
  6. ‹ varied
  7. ‹ varicotomy
  8. ‹ varicosity
  9. ‹ varicosis
  10. ‹ varicose
  1. variety meat ›
  2. variety show ›
  3. variety store ›
  4. variform ›
  5. variocoupler ›
  6. variola ›
  7. variolar ›
  8. variole ›
  9. variolite ›
  10. varioloid ›