Definitions
01a range of different things
A2 · Elementary Uncountable noun
n. a lot of different things of the same general type.
n. a collection or number of different things within a particular category. Often used with the preposition 'of'.
日本語:バラエティ※
“The shop sells a wide variety of fresh bread every morning.”
“The university offers a variety of extracurricular activities, ranging from competitive sports to niche academic societies.”
Usage
When 'a variety of' is the subject, the verb is usually plural because the focus is on the many items.
Pitfall
There are a variety of reason for this.
There are a variety of reasons for this.
The phrase 'a variety of' must be followed by a plural noun.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02the quality of being different
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the quality of being different or having many parts, which makes something interesting.
n. the quality or state of being varied or diverse; the absence of monotony.
日本語:変化※
Español:variedad
“I like my job because there is a lot of variety in my daily tasks.”
“The composer introduced rhythmic variety into the second movement to prevent the repetitive melody from becoming tedious.”
Usage
Often functions as an uncountable noun in this sense.
03a specific type
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Science Technical
n. a specific type of a plant, animal, or thing.
n. a specific sort, kind, or type; in biology, a taxonomic rank below species.
日本語:種類※
“This specific variety of tomato grows very well in cold weather.”
“Botanists identified a rare variety of orchid that only blooms during the peak of the rainy season.”
04entertainment show
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Theater General-service
n. a type of entertainment with many different acts, like singing, dancing, and magic.
n. a genre of entertainment consisting of a series of unrelated performances, such as comedy, music, and acrobatics.
“We watched an old-fashioned variety show on television last night.”
“The theatre's winter programme features a traditional variety performance designed to appeal to families and tourists alike.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “variety” in context.
Etymology
From Middle French varieté (“variety”) (modern French variété (“variety; genre, type”)) or directly from its etymon Latin varietās (“difference; diversity, variety”) + English -ty (suffix forming abstract nouns from adjectives); by surface analysis, various + -ety. Varietās is derived from varius (“different, diverse, various; variegated”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (“to abandon; to give out; to leave”)) + -tās (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns indicating a state of being). The English word displaced the native Old English mislīcnes. Sense 1.3.2 (“total number of distinct states of a system; logarithm to the base 2 of the total number of distinct states of a system”) was coined by the English psychiatrist William Ross Ashby (1903–1972) in his work An Introduction to Cybernetics (1956). Cognates * Galician variedade (“variety”) * Italian varietà (“difference; variety”) * Portuguese variedade (“variety”) * Spanish variedad (“breed; variety”)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/variety
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0