variable
adjective
\
Definition of variable
(Entry 1 of 2)
variable
nounDefinition of variable (Entry 2 of 2)
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from variable
Adjective
\
noun
\
noun
\
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for variable
Synonyms: Adjective
adaptable, adjustable, alterable, changeable, elastic, flexible, fluid, malleable, modifiable, pliable
Antonyms: Adjective
established, fixed, immutable, inelastic, inflexible, invariable, nonmalleable, ramrod, set, unadaptable, unalterable, unbudgeable, unchangeable
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of variable in a Sentence
Adjective
The winds were light and variable. The loan has a variable interest rate.Noun
unemployment and other economic variables
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Oyster seasons can be variable, but this is the first time in 15 years that the hatchery will likely fail to meet its annual goal of putting 500 million spat-on-shell out into the bay, Tobash Alexander said. — Julia Rentsch, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland oysters are having a bad year, and here’s why," 18 Aug. 2019 The atmosphere is too variable for a Terrascope, as Kipping calls it, to produce beautiful images to rival the Hubble Space Telescope. — Daniel Clery, Science | AAAS, "Space telescope would turn Earth into a giant magnifying lens," 6 Aug. 2019 Light breezes blow mainly from the south but could be more variable and gustier around any thunderstorms. — Matt Rogers, Washington Post, "D.C.-area forecast: Muggy heat with scattered thunderstorms; then weekend improvement," 6 Aug. 2019 Harvests were variable and sometimes ravaged by cyclones. — The Economist, "The murky world of Madagascar’s roaring vanilla trade," 5 July 2019 The extent to which you’ll be scared or charmed may be variable, though. — Mike Hale, New York Times, "Review: ‘Stranger Things’ Reaches 1985 and Goes to the Mall," 3 July 2019 But what does that mean in a country where medical prices are so variable? — Jonel Aleccia, The Seattle Times, "State laws ban surprise medical bills. A Washington woman got one for $227,000 — and fought back.," 30 Mar. 2019 Unfortunately, the onset of the first period after a miscarriage can be variable and unpredictable, happening anywhere from four to eight weeks after the miscarriage is completed. — Jennifer Gerson, Marie Claire, "How Long After a Miscarriage Can I Start Trying Again?," 1 Oct. 2018 Costs of other services, such as mental health care, are widely variable and no accurate averages are available, officials said. — Cynthia Hubert, sacbee, "This man cost Sacramento County more in one year than any other homeless person," 8 July 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
But the magnitude of the increase depended on many variables, including growing-season conditions. — Jonathan Levin, BostonGlobe.com, "Tomato trade war eases as US agrees to end Mexico tariffs," 21 Aug. 2019 The difference between the groups came down to two variables: narcissism and sexism. — Emma Grey Ellis, WIRED, "WIRED Takes a Good Hard Look at Dick Pics," 14 Aug. 2019 The family visited the towns, helping create scores for subjective variables, and gauging their overall vibe. — Cassie Werber, Quartz at Work, "Solve your next big problem at work or home with the help of a logic tree," 7 Aug. 2019 The scientists presented several scenarios for temperature and rainfall over the course of the next century for the trees, based on different variables including age and location. — Lauren M. Johnson, CNN, "We may have a future without Joshua trees thanks to climate change, study says," 2 Aug. 2019 But when and if there are future blackouts is uncertain. The company’s decision to turn off the power hinges on several variables, including the weather forecast, humidity and forest conditions. — Kurtis Alexander, SFChronicle.com, "PG&E’s planned power shutdowns could choke off vital water supplies," 9 July 2019 Staying at a campground with hookups (water, electric, and sewer) ranges from $50 a night to more than $125 depending on the same variables. — Kristi Valentini, Redbook, "The No-Fly, All-Fun Vacation," 13 July 2017 But there were several variables that many thought would add a new wrinkle to this year’s race after the new aero package and the traction compound was applied to the Kentucky Speedway’s racing surface. — David J. Kim, The Courier-Journal, "What NASCAR Cup Series drivers thought about the track at the Quaker State 400," 14 July 2019 The convergence of multiple variables worked in Cleveland's favor to stage the All-Star Game, Lehman said. — Marc Bona, cleveland.com, "All-Star Game aftermath: ‘Sports can be a calling card for a city’," 12 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'variable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more