vary

var·y

Use vary in a sentence

Their hair color varies.

verb

To vary is to change, to cause something to change or to differ in some way from something or someone else.

When you change the order of cards on the table, this is an example of a situation where you vary the order of cards.
When you have blond hair and your sister has brown hair, this is an example of a situation in which your hair colors vary.

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"vary." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 15 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vary>.

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vary. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vary

vary

transitive verb

var′ied, var′y·ing

to change in form, appearance, nature, substance, etc.; alter; modify
to make different from one another
to give variety to; diversify: to vary one's reading
Music to repeat (a theme or idea) with changes in harmony, rhythm, key, etc.

Origin of vary

Middle English varien from Old French varier from Classical Latin variare, to vary, change from varius, various, probably from Indo-European base an unverified form wa-, to bend, turn from source vacillate

to undergo change in any way; become different
to be different or diverse; differ: varying opinions
to deviate, diverge, or depart (from)
Biol. to show variation

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MLA Style

"vary." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 15 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vary>.

APA Style

vary. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vary

vary

verb

var·ied, var·y·ing, var·ies,

verb

intransitive

To undergo or show change: The temperature varied throughout the day.
To deviate from a standard or expectation: behavior that varies from the norm.
To have a range of different qualities or amounts: Shirt sizes vary from small to extra large.

verb

transitive

To make or cause changes in; modify or alter: vary the speed of the drill.
To give variety to; make diverse: vary one's diet.

Origin of vary

Middle English varien to undergo change from Old French varier from Latin variāre from varius various

Related Forms:

var′y·ing·ly
adverb

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"vary." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 15 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vary>.

APA Style

vary. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vary

Verb

(third-person singular simple present varies, present participle varying, simple past and past participle varied)

To change with time or a similar parameter.
He varies his magic tricks so as to minimize the possibility that any given audience member will see the same trick twice.
To institute a change in, from a current state; to modify.
You should vary your diet. Eating just bread will do you harm in the end.
(intransitive) Not to remain constant: to change with time or a similar parameter.
His mood varies by the hour.
The sine function varies between âˆ’1 and 1.
(of the members of a group, intransitive) To display differences.
The sprouting tendency of potatoes varies between cultivars, years and places of growing.
(intransitive) To be or act different from the usual.
I'm not comfortable with 3.Nc3 in the Caro-Kann, so I decided to vary and play exd5.
To make of different kinds; to make different from one another; to diversity; to variegate.
(music) To embellish; to change fancifully; to present under new aspects, as of form, key, measure, etc. See variation.

Noun

(uncountable)

(obsolete) Alteration; change.

Anagrams

arvy

Origin

From Middle English varien, from Old French varier, from Latin variÅ (“to change, alter, make different"), from varius (“different, various"); see various

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.