variety
noun
va·ri·e·ty və-ˈrī-ə-tē 
plural varieties
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
3
a
: something differing from others of the same general kind : sort
b
: any of various groups of plants or animals ranking below a species : subspecies
4
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
Since 2007, Congress has relied on a variety of general fund offsets to cover an increasingly larger share of the HTF. —
Andrew Stasiowski, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 From global dishes to comfort food classics, many supermarkets now offer — and are expanding — buffet-style prepared foods that rival takeout in both variety and convenience. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026 More often those concert performances help pump up a flashy, superficial look at an enigmatic artist whose closest connections were of the animal variety (Bubbles gets screen time; ditto a giraffe, a llama and a big snake). —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026 The absolute minimum spacing for tomato plants is 18 to 24 inches between plants and three feet between rows for determinate tomato varieties. —Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for variety
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Andrew Stasiowski, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 From global dishes to comfort food classics, many supermarkets now offer — and are expanding — buffet-style prepared foods that rival takeout in both variety and convenience. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026 More often those concert performances help pump up a flashy, superficial look at an enigmatic artist whose closest connections were of the animal variety (Bubbles gets screen time; ditto a giraffe, a llama and a big snake). —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026 The absolute minimum spacing for tomato plants is 18 to 24 inches between plants and three feet between rows for determinate tomato varieties. —Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for variety
Cite this Entry
“Variety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/variety. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
variety
noun
va·ri·e·ty və-ˈrī-ət-ē
plural varieties
: any of various groups of plants or animals ranking below a species : subspecies
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
