variety

noun
va·​ri·​e·​ty | \ və-ˈrī-ə-tē How to pronounce variety (audio) \
plural varieties

Definition of variety

1 : the quality or state of having different forms or types : multifariousness
2 : a number or collection of different things especially of a particular class : assortment
3a : something differing from others of the same general kind : sort
b : any of various groups of plants or animals ranking below a species : subspecies

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of variety in a Sentence

I was surprised by the variety of the choices that were available. My life needs more variety.

Recent Examples on the Web

So summer camps — from no-frills YMCA and Scout camps to fancier sleepaway varieties — are answering the call. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "What’s cooking at summer camp? A new generation of foodies," 13 Aug. 2019 From this sawmill, 17 varieties of wood were milled and dried to renovate his river house, from top to bottom, exterior and interior. courant.com, "Fred H. Grimshaw Jr.," 13 Aug. 2019 Go for the really big fruits, grow a bush full of the quarter-size cherry varieties or plant tomatoes of different colors. Tom Maccubbin, orlandosentinel.com, "Gardeners, start your tomatoes," 13 Aug. 2019 Algae occurs naturally in water, but the blue-green variety are considered Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Susan Scutti, CNN, "How to spot the toxic algae that's killing dogs in the Southeast," 12 Aug. 2019 Folks had several varieties of pears, including Asian pears. Kim Pierce, Dallas News, "This Fort Worth farmers market has all locally-grown goods, including apples and giant tomatoes," 12 Aug. 2019 The names of some of the varieties that Davis is releasing to farmers this fall suggest an industry girded for battle with the elements: Victor, Valiant, Warrior. Dana Goodyear, The New Yorker, "Rosé Berries Have Arrived," 11 Aug. 2019 San Jose Jazz’s other initiatives also have added to the festival’s variety. Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, "San Jose Jazz Summer Fest stays true to its community roots," 10 Aug. 2019 Running backs have become something of a dime a dozen in the modern NFL, but Elliott is not your garden variety running back. Nick Talbot, ExpressNews.com, "Writers’ Roundtable: Can Derrick White live up to his Team USA hype for the Spurs?," 10 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'variety.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of variety

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for variety

borrowed from Middle French or Latin; Middle French varieté, borrowed from Latin varietāt-, varietās, from varius "having contrasting colors, various entry 1" + -etāt- -etās, variant of -itās -ity

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for variety

variety

noun

English Language Learners Definition of variety

: a number or collection of different things or people
: the quality or state of having or including many different things
: a particular kind of person or thing

variety

noun
va·​ri·​ety | \ və-ˈrī-ə-tē How to pronounce variety (audio) \
plural varieties

Kids Definition of variety

1 : a collection of different things This store sells a variety of items.
2 : the quality or state of having different forms or types My diet lacks variety.
3 : something (as a plant or animal) that differs from others of the same general kind or of the group to which it belongs a variety of tulip
4 : entertainment made up of performances (as dances and songs) that follow one another and are not related

variety

noun
va·​ri·​e·​ty | \ və-ˈrī-ət-ē How to pronounce variety (audio) \
plural varieties

Medical Definition of variety

: any of various groups of plants or animals ranking below a species : subspecies

Keep scrolling for more