va·ri·e·ty

(və-rī′ĭ-tē)

n. pl. va·ri·e·ties

1. The quality or condition of being various or varied; diversity: We need to add some variety to the program.

2. A number or collection of varied things, especially of a particular group; an assortment: brought home a variety of snacks.

a. Something that is distinguished from others of the same kind by a specific characteristic or set of characteristics: varieties of minerals; varieties of socialism.

b. A form of a language that is used by a specific social group and differs from forms used by other social groups: regional varieties of English.

c. Biology A taxonomic subdivision of a species or subspecies consisting of a group of naturally occurring or selectively bred individuals that differ from other individuals of the species in certain minor characteristics.

4. A variety show.

[French variété, from Old French, from Latin varietās, varietāt-, from varius, various.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

variety

(vəˈraɪɪtɪ)

n, pl -ties

1. the quality or condition of being diversified or various

2. a collection of unlike things, esp of the same general group; assortment

3. a different form or kind within a general category; sort: varieties of behaviour.

4. (Biology)

a. taxonomy a race whose distinct characters are insufficient to justify classification as a separate species; a subspecies

b. horticulture stockbreeding a strain of animal or plant produced by artificial breeding

5. (Theatre)

a. entertainment consisting of a series of short unrelated performances or acts, such as comedy turns, songs, dances, sketches, etc

b. (as modifier): a variety show.

[C16: from Latin varietās, from various]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

va•ri•e•ty

(vəˈraɪ ɪ ti)

n., pl. -ties.

1. the state of being diversified: to give variety to one's diet.

2. difference; discrepancy.

3. a number of different types of things, esp. ones in the same general category: a large variety of fruits.

4. a kind or sort.

5. a different form or phase of something: varieties of experience.

6. a category within a species, based on some hereditary difference.

7. a type of animal or plant produced by artificial selection.

a. Also called vari′ety show`. an entertainment consisting of a series of brief performances, as of singing, dancing, and comedy.

b. vaudeville (def. 1).

c. music hall (def. 3).

[1525–35; < Latin varietās=vari(us) various + -etās, variant of -itās -ity]

usage: As a collective noun, variety, when preceded by a, is often treated as a plural: A variety of inexpensive goods are sold here. When preceded by the, it is usu. treated as a singular: The variety of products is small. See also collective noun, number.

Variety

a number or collection of different things. See also miscellany.

Examples: variety of discourse, 1757; of goods, 1708; of movements, 1851; of pleasant orchards and gardens, 1680; of pleasures, 1553; of prospects, 1718; of readers, 1623; of simpler scenes, 1798; of temporary blessings, 1623; of vices, 1891.

variety

1. 'a variety of'

If there are a variety of things or people, there are several different kinds of them.

West Hampstead has a variety of good shops and supermarkets.

These were not easy aims to achieve, for a variety of reasons.

After a variety of you use a plural form of a verb.

A variety of treatment methods exist.

If you want to emphasize how many different kinds of people or things there are, you can use great or wide in front of variety.

A great variety of animals survive there.

The college library had a wide variety of books.

2. used as a count noun

You can refer to a type of plant or animal as a variety of that plant or animal.

The courgettes were from Spain, as was one variety of lettuce.

There are numerous varieties of fish to choose from.

After varieties of you can use either the plural or singular form of a noun. The singular form is more formal.

Dozens of varieties of roses are carefully cultivated.

There are many varieties of water turbine on the market.

After variety of you use a singular form.

Each variety of tree has its own name.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	variety - a collection containing a variety of sorts of things; "a great assortment of cars was on display"; "he had a variety of disorders"; "a veritable smorgasbord of religions" assortment, miscellanea, miscellany, mixed bag, motley, potpourri, salmagundi, smorgasbord, mixture aggregation, collection, accumulation, assemblage - several things grouped together or considered as a whole grab bag - an assortment of miscellaneous items witches' brew, witches' broth, witch's brew - a fearsome mixture; "a witches' brew of gangsters and terrorists"; "mixing dope and alcohol creates a witches' brew" range - a variety of different things or activities; "he answered a range of questions"; "he was impressed by the range and diversity of the collection" selection - an assortment of things from which a choice can be made; "the store carried a large selection of shoes" farrago, gallimaufry, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, melange, mingle-mangle, mishmash, oddments, odds and ends, omnium-gatherum, ragbag - a motley assortment of things alphabet soup - a confusing assortment; "Roosevelt created an alphabet soup of federal agencies" sampler - an assortment of various samples; "a candy sampler"; "a sampler of French poets"
	2.	variety - noticeable heterogeneity; "a diversity of possibilities"; "the range and variety of his work is amazing" diverseness, diversity, multifariousness heterogeneity, heterogeneousness - the quality of being diverse and not comparable in kind biodiversity - the diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat (or in the world as a whole); "a high level of biodiversity is desirable"
	3.	variety - (biology) a taxonomic category consisting of members of a species that differ from others of the same species in minor but heritable characteristics; "varieties are frequently recognized in botany" biological science, biology - the science that studies living organisms taxon, taxonomic category, taxonomic group - animal or plant group having natural relations breed, strain, stock - a special variety of domesticated animals within a species; "he experimented on a particular breed of white rats"; "he created a new strain of sheep" species - (biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed cultivar - a variety of a plant developed from a natural species and maintained under cultivation
	4.	variety - a show consisting of a series of short unrelated performances variety show show - a social event involving a public performance or entertainment; "they wanted to see some of the shows on Broadway" revue, review - a variety show with topical sketches and songs and dancing and comedians vaudeville, music hall - a variety show with songs and comic acts etc.
	5.	variety - a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality; "sculpture is a form of art"; "what kinds of desserts are there?" kind, sort, form category - a general concept that marks divisions or coordinations in a conceptual scheme description - sort or variety; "every description of book was there" type - a subdivision of a particular kind of thing; "what type of sculpture do you prefer?" antitype - an opposite or contrasting type art form - (architecture) a form of artistic expression (such as writing or painting or architecture) style - a particular kind (as to appearance); "this style of shoe is in demand" flavour, flavor - (physics) the six kinds of quarks colour, color - (physics) the characteristic of quarks that determines their role in the strong interaction; "each flavor of quarks comes in three colors" species - a specific kind of something; "a species of molecule"; "a species of villainy" genus - a general kind of something; "ignore the genus communism" make, brand - a recognizable kind; "there's a new brand of hero in the movies now"; "what make of car is that?" genre - a kind of literary or artistic work ilk, like - a kind of person; "We'll not see his like again"; "I can't tolerate people of his ilk" manner - a kind; "what manner of man are you?" model - a type of product; "his car was an old model" stripe - a kind or category; "businessmen of every stripe joined in opposition to the proposal" like, the like, the likes of - a similar kind; "dogs, foxes, and the like", "we don't want the likes of you around here"
	6.	variety - a difference that is usually pleasant; "he goes to France for variety"; "it is a refreshing change to meet a woman mechanic" change difference - the quality of being unlike or dissimilar; "there are many differences between jazz and rock"

variety

noun

1. diversity, change, variation, difference, diversification, heterogeneity, many-sidedness, multifariousness people who like variety in their lives and enjoy trying new things
diversity similarity, uniformity, monotony, homogeneity, similitude, invariability

2. range, selection, assortment, mix, collection, line-up, mixture, array, cross section, medley, multiplicity, mixed bag (informal), miscellany, motley collection, intermixture a store selling a wide variety of goods

3. type, sort, kind, make, order, class, brand, species, breed, strain, category She grows 12 varieties of old-fashioned roses.

Quotations
"Variety's the very spice of life,"
"That gives all its flavour" [William Cowper The Task]

Proverbs
"Different strokes for different folks"

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

variety

noun

1. The quality of being made of many different elements, forms, kinds, or individuals:

diverseness, diversification, diversity, heterogeneity, heterogeneousness, miscellaneousness, multifariousness, multiformity, multiplicity, variegation, variousness.

Biology: polymorphism.

2. A collection of various things:

assortment, conglomeration, gallimaufry, hodgepodge, jumble, medley, mélange, miscellany, mishmash, mixed bag, mixture, olio, patchwork, potpourri, salmagundi.

Slang: grab bag.

3. A class that is defined by the common attribute or attributes possessed by all its members:

breed, cast, description, feather, ilk, kind, lot, manner, mold, nature, order, sort, species, stamp, stripe, type.

Informal: persuasion.

4. One that is slightly different from others of the same kind or designation:

variant, variation, version.

Translations

تَشْكيلَه، مَجموعَة مُشَكَّلَهتَنَوُّعتَنَوُّع، أشكال متنوِّعَهصِنْفمُنَوَّعات مَسْرَحِيَّه

odrůdapestrý výběrrozmanitostvarietévarietní

afvekslingmange forskelligevariantvariationvarieté

Vielfalt Abart Abwechslung Spielart Varieté

ποικιλία

variedad surtido(espectáculo de) variedades

vaihtelu

variété choix

raznolikost

változatosságvarieté

blandaîur skemmtiòátturfjölbreytnisamsafntegund

varietà vario molteplicità variamente variet...

多様性

다양성

atmainadaugybė įvairiausiųvarjetė

daudzumsdaudzveidībadažādībamilzumspasuga

variëteit

variasjon varieté avveksling forskjellighet revy

rozmaitość

variedade

ассортимент разнообразие

odrodapestrý výbervarietný

izborraznolikostvrsta

ombyte

ความหลากหลาย

çeşit çeşit çeşitçeşitliliktürvaryete

sự đa dạng

各种多样化多样性种类联合演出

variety

[vəˈraɪətɪ]

A. N (gen) → variedad f; (= range, diversity) → diversidad f (Comm) [of stock] → surtido m
he likes a variety of food → le gustan diversas comidas
a variety of opinions was expressed → se expresaron diversas opiniones
it comes in a variety of colours → lo hay en varios colores or de diversos colores
for a variety of reasons → por varias or diversas razones
in a variety of ways → de diversas maneras
for variety → por variar
to lend variety to sth → dar variedad a algo
variety is the spice of life → en la variedad está el gusto

B. CPD variety artist N → artista mf de variedades
variety show N → espectáculo m de variedades
variety store N (US) → bazar m (tienda barata que vende de todo)
variety theatre N → teatro m de variedades

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

variety

[vəˈraɪəti] n

(= diversity) → variété f
Susan liked to have variety in her lifestyle → Susan aimait avoir de la variété dans son style de vie.

(= range) a variety of sth → divers qch
She ordered a variety of books → Elle a commandé divers livres.
a wide variety of sth → une grande variété de qch
There is a wide variety of restaurants → Il y a une grande variété de restaurants.
for a variety of reasons → pour diverses raisons

(= kind) → variété f
They have three varieties of whisky → Ils ont trois variétés de whisky.variety show n → spectacle m de variétés

variety

(= diversity) → Abwechslung f; to add variety to something → Abwechslung in etw (acc) → bringen; a job with a lot of variety → eine sehr abwechslungsreiche Arbeit; variety is the spice of life (prov) → öfter mal was Neues (inf)

(= assortment) → Vielfalt f; (Comm) → Auswahl f (→ of an +dat); that’s quite a variety for one company → das ist ein ziemlich breites Spektrum für eine (einzige) Firma; I have seen him in a variety of different moods → ich habe ihn in einer Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Stimmungen erlebt; in a great variety of ways → auf die verschiedensten Arten pl; in a variety of colours (Brit) or colors (US) → in den verschiedensten Farben pl; for a variety of reasons → aus verschiedenen or mehreren Gründen; for a great variety of reasons → aus vielen verschiedenen Gründen; a wide variety of birds → eine große Vielfalt an Vogelarten, viele verschiedene Vogelarten; you meet a great variety of people at this hotel → in diesem Hotel können Sie die verschiedensten Leute treffen

(Biol, Bot: = species) → Art f, → Varietät f (spec)

(= type) → Art f; (of cigarette, potato) → Sorte f; (of chair) → Modell nt; a new variety of tulip/potato → eine neue Tulpen-/Kartoffelsorte

(esp Brit Theat) → Varieté nt, → Varietee nt

variety

variety act

n → Varieté- or Varieteenummer f

variety artist

n → Varieté- or Varieteekünstler(in) m(f)

variety show

n (Theat) → Varieté- or Varieteevorführung f; (TV) → Fernsehshow f; (Rad, TV) → Unterhaltungssendung f

variety theatre, (US) variety theater

n → Varieté- or Varieteetheater nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

variety

[vəˈraɪətɪ] n (type) → varietà f inv, tipo; (range, diversity) → molteplicità, varietà
in a wide or large variety of colours → in una vasta gamma di colori
for a variety of reasons → per una serie di motivi
for variety → per variare

variety

(vəˈraiəti) – plural vaˈrieties – noun

1. the quality of being of many different kinds or of being varied. There's a great deal of variety in this job.

2. a mixed collection or range. The children got a variety of toys on their birthdays.

3. a sort or kind. They grow fourteen different varieties of rose.

4. a type of mixed theatrical entertainment including dances, songs, short sketches etc. I much prefer operas to variety; (also adjective) a variety show.

variety

→ تَنَوُّع rozmanitost variation Vielfalt ποικιλία variedad vaihtelu variété raznolikost varietà 多様性 다양성 variëteit variasjon rozmaitość variedade разнообразие ombyte ความหลากหลาย çeşit sự đa dạng 多样性

variety

n. variedad.