variousvar‧i‧ous /ˈveəriəs $ ˈver-/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective [usually before noun] 
The jacket is available in various colours. There are various ways to answer your question. He decided to leave school for various reasons.2many and various British English, various and sundry American English many different types of something: The reasons why teenage girls get pregnant are many and various.
WORD ORIGINvarious
Origin:
1500-1600 Latin variusEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- I had to sign various documents before they would let me into the country.
- Long held various positions at the company before becoming president.
- The committee has asked various people for their opinions.
- The study evaluates various methods of weight loss.
- How royal conflicts could engage these various interests is best seen through a detailed investigation of one particular crisis.
- In recent days, I have spoken to women of various classes, colors and ages, and we all agree.
- Next in order come the Homeric Hymns, poems written to honor various gods.
- Subsequent chapters are devoted to mastering various techniques and manoeuvres.
- The Ministry of Education has issued various reports suggesting things have to change.
- Varley was its unpaid pastor until 1882 and experimented with various means of evangelizing and meeting the social needs of the poor.
Longman Language Activatorwords for describing things or people that are of different kinds
use this about several people or things of the same general type, when you are comparing them with each other and noticing the differences between them: · His hair was dyed in at least three different colors.· I always check the prices of different brands before I make a major purchase.· The drug affects different people in different ways.· The word can have completely different meanings depending on the context.
use this when you want to emphasize that there are several different people or things: · The study evaluates various methods of weight loss.· The committee has asked various people for their opinions.· I had to sign various documents before they would let me into the country.
especially written a lot of things that are different from each other, but of the same general type: · Children do badly at school for a variety of reasons.· The reef fishes display an almost endless variety of colors and patterns.a wide variety of something (=a large variety): · The college offers a wide variety of language courses.
different from each other, especially very different in degree, amount, character etc: · We aim to satisfy the differing needs of our customers.· Survivors sustained injuries with differing degrees of severity.widely differing: · There are widely differing views among community leaders on how best to deal with the homeless issue.
different from each other in degree, amount, condition etc: · The program teaches children of varying ages.· It is now possible to grow satisfactory crops under varying climatic conditions.varying degrees/levels/amounts etc of something: · She has tried numerous diets with varying degrees of success.· Test-takers must complete ten tasks with varying levels of complexity.
several things that are of the same general kind but are not all exactly alike: · Police confiscated an assortment of weapons from the gang.· Every good cook needs an assortment of knives for different jobs in the kitchen.· The basket contained an assortment of sandwiches, cheese, and fruit.
various things of the same general kind, all together in the same place - often used about products: · In the centre of the table was a plate of assorted biscuits.· a box of assorted bandages· The website contains links to assorted investment sites.
an interesting or useful variety of different people or things: · The ideal lesson contains a good mix of activities and subjects.· A mix of young people and old people attended the meeting.· The band's music is an exciting mix of jazz, swing, and rock 'n' roll.
a variety of people or things, especially when they have been deliberately chosen to be together: · The film is largely a mixture of music, dance, and comedy.· Indonesian civilization is an extreme mixture of races, religions, and cultures.· Yiddish is a dialect of German with a mixture of Polish and Hebrew added.
words for describing things or people of many different kinds especially spoken a lot of people or things that are different from each other, but of the same general type: · I meet all sorts of people in my job.· The bureau provides advice on all kinds of housing problems.· My landlady has all kinds of junky stuff in the basement.· Pregnancy causes all sorts of hormonal changes in your body.
very different from each other, though belonging to the same group or being connected in some way: · Indian cinema shows several diverse influences.· It is difficult to design a program that will meet the diverse needs of all our users.· The category of "mammals" contains creatures as diverse as whales, elephants, and human beings.
many very different or surprisingly different kinds of things: · All manner of foodstuffs lay scattered on the kitchen table.· Health food stores promote all manner of herbs to prevent colds.
from or in every kind of job and every social class: · Members of the organization come from all walks of life.· The Internet has affected the everyday existence of children and adults in all walks of life.· Golf used to be a game for the rich, but now it attracts people from all walks of life.
including many different people, things, activities etc consisting of or including many different people, things, activities etc: · He had a varied and outstanding career.· Grain products, vegetables, and fruit are important parts of a varied diet.· Sandra's circle of friends was varied, and often a little strange.
the differences within a group, set of actions etc that make it interesting: · She's always complaining that her job doesn't have enough variety.· The music on her latest CD shows a great deal of variety.variety of: · The doctor encouraged him to increase the variety of food that he eats.
a diverse group of people or things contains a lot of very different types of people or things: · The project studied a diverse group of 20,000 teenagers from nine high schools.· We believe the committee should reflect the diverse make-up of our community.· The region's economy is more diverse now than it was 10 years ago.
including many different subjects, ideas, or things: · Climate change is likely to have a wide-ranging impact on human health.· Our discussions were wide-ranging and substantive.· A wide-ranging survey found growing dissatisfaction among workers.
including two or more different things of the same type, or people of different types, mixed together: · The show draws a mixed audience of children and adults.· After beating the cake mixture, add a handful of mixed nuts.· This is a very mixed neighborhood, both racially and socially.
including or concerning people of different races or religions, especially those who live together in the same society, go to the same schools etc: · Most of today's teachers are committed to multicultural education.· He grew up in a multiracial area in London's East End.· Government policies should reflect the multiracial nature of our society.
seeming to be together for no particular reason · You'll need enough money for food, transport, and other miscellaneous costs.· Their junk shop was full of chairs, trunks, ornaments, and other miscellaneous objects.· The seminar was attended by a miscellaneous collection of students, businessmen, and housewives.
: motley crew/bunch/assortment etc a group of people of very different kinds, especially people that you disapprove of: · The people who travelled with us to Mexico were a motley crew.· A motley bunch of students, ex-convicts and unemployed artists worked together to repair the building.
informal a group of people or things of very different kinds which do not seem to have much connection with each other: · Downtown is a mixed bag of upscale retailers and discount stores.· Today, healthcare depends on a mixed bag of medical professionals, charity workers, and patients' families.
also this, that, and the other thing American spoken say this about a variety of things that someone says or does: · We spent the evening chatting about this, that, and the other.· The casting agents always want me to prove that I can do this, that, and the other thing.
a set of different things of the same general type a set of many different things of the same general type that are available in the same place for the same use: · She has an interesting range of hobbies, from stamp-collecting to astronomy.a wide/broad range of something: · Atkins is extremely well educated and able to talk on a broad range of topics.· It was difficult to choose from such a wide range of dishes on the menu.
a complete range of different types of things or people, especially when those at one end of the range are the opposite of those at the other end: spectrum of: · The spectrum of protest activity goes from peaceful to extremely violent.broad/wide/whole/entire spectrum: · Their songs appeal to a broad spectrum of music lovers.· You can find therapists along the whole spectrum, from caring and honest to cool and manipulative.at one end/the other end of the spectrum: · At one end of the spectrum were the Communists, and at the other, the Nationalists.political spectrum (=range of political opinions): · The announcement has upset people all across the political spectrum.
a number of different things of the same kind that are available for you to choose or use: · Customers are invited to view the selection at any time.selection of: · The library also has a selection of foreign language videos on the third floor.wide/broad selection: · The shop offers a wide selection of glasses frames to choose from.
a complete range of every possible emotion, problem, experience etc: gamut of: · "Fear" is a word that covers a gamut of different feelings.a/the whole gamut: · Alternative therapies have been successful with a whole gamut of health problems.· New mothers can experience the whole gamut of emotions, from intense joy to deep depression.run the gamut: · Lodgings run the gamut from rustic cabins to plush hotels.
to start to get involved in new activities · When you don't allow employees to branch out, they become bored.· The clothing designer has branched out and now has his name on a line of perfume.branch out into · Many businesses are unwilling to branch out into new and unfamiliar areas.
if a business or organization diversifies , it begins to make new products or get involved in new areas of business in addition to what it was doing before: · The company is diversifying to find new sources of income.diversify into: · We started out making cash registers, but have diversified into computer systems of all sorts.
to make something different and more varied · To obtain the nutrients you need, vary the foods you eat.· Good writers vary the length and structure of their sentences.
to make something more varied, especially in order to make it more interesting: · Tutoring younger students can add variety to older students' days, and make them feel important.· Bartlett argued that billboards add color and variety to our city streets.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY He decided to leave school for various reasons.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
He decided to leave school for various reasons.· The students had to read various kinds of academic materials.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· Discussions of various aspects of women's work are to be found in chapter 3, sections 3.2, 3.4 and 3.5.· The concept has various aspects, each as negative as the other.· This took the form of a pack with a set of leaflets on various aspects of transport provision.· Thousands of news groups are filled with experts discussing various aspects of their fields.· These represent the various aspects of Khaine.· We also need to watch our children to see how they juggle the various aspects of their lives.· The first three chapters are concerned with various aspects of children's ability to understand language.· The following four chapters move away from fieldwork, to consider various aspects of data handling and analysis.
· This date was adopted by various countries as marking the beginning of the year.· Race organizers had asked permission of the various countries whose airspace could be involved.· The present position is that various countries have enacted data protection laws which have similar patterns but significant differences of detail.· These trends are not unique to Britain and may be observed in various countries.· In addition, hundreds of research studies were conducted by scholars in various countries interested in conservation.· Market research showed considerable differences in consumer preferences in various countries.· Naturally, difficult problems will remain in various countries where the faction fight has been long and bitter.
· Credit, Neighbours and Kin Many women made use of various forms of credit.· The role of various forms of insurance is another possible third-party effect that should be taken into account.· Union sources thought last night that an all-out strike was unlikely, although various forms of non-co-operation might be considered.· Through various forms of operating system treachery, programs like these increase system resources.· Feminist writers have wanted, of course, to indict the various forms of brutality and coercion from which women have suffered.· Ratchets can operate either upward or downward and can take various forms.· The Goddess, in various forms, is widely worshipped amongst Hindus.
· This is a series of tracks showing Baker's musical odyssey from Cream through his various groups up to 1987.· Crime prevention talks before various groups in the county keeps him on the road much of the time, he said.· As well as such differences in educational attainment, there are differences in the characteristic linguistic behaviour of various groups.· Three illumination experiments were conducted with various groups of workers.· Its function is to offer a series of social activities which might appeal to all or various groups within our community.· I have also seen with great pleasure an inter-change of historical pageants between various groups.· Why does government give attention to the views of the associations that represent the various groups of local authorities?· The story focuses on various groups of nobles who flee their strife-ridden court for the restorative countryside.
· What consideration is being given to noise barriers of various kinds?· I mean that gender and class are not incidental to the double standard now applied to various kinds of smoking.· Of the rest, twenty mentioned various kinds of community-level effects which I would classify as affecting the local way of life.· The regularities in human social relations are defined by rule structures of various kinds.· Christmas dinner is built around horsd'oeuvres, various kinds of pasta, capon and turkey.· Perhaps that is why various kinds of primal and spiritual speech are returning.· Readers, worship leaders, lesson readers, intercessors and musicians of various kinds are all involved.· He talked about the effective use of time, mnemonic tricks, and various kinds of tests.
· Everyone here has various levels of experience.· Firewalls come in several types and offer various levels of security.· Four compost bins are maintained at various levels of decomposition.· Organized cooperation among various levels of producers and consumers is the essence of what economic systems are supposed to contribute to civilization.· What distinguishes one mode of production from another is the particular articulation of the various levels or elements.· Include various levels of questions and commentary.· The nature of the task requires cooperative activity of a high order at various levels and between a wide range of people.· Language operates at various levels of abstraction.
· At various points it is also related to the scholastic distinction between knowledge and opinion.· Then we had to work out how deep we could actually go at various points, before we started digging rock.· Reconsider, at various points in the essay, both the implications of the title and the actual wording of it.· He engaged four excursion schooners to bring spectators from various points on Lake Ontario.· All that is happening is that the story is taken over at various points by each of the members of the cast.· This thesis has been challenged, with some justice, on various points of detail.· The Hon. Member for Maryhill raised various points in relation to the disabled.· Elsewhere we find things, objects, given in advance, which you are free to consider from various points of view.
· The CEBs represent a radical move for the church for various reasons.· Thus, it seems likely that some women, for various reasons, have more trouble premenstrually than others.· Unfortunately, there are many people who think of ideas but, for various reasons, don't voice them.· Estimates of the number that will not be tossed out for various reasons run from 50 percent to 80 percent.· Investigations followed which revealed various reasons.· However, for various reasons, many researchers often use other protocols that do not comply with the model.· For various reasons - business, injury, examinations etc. - the list excludes 13 of those originally invited.· However, in this first chapter, Ishmael suggests various reasons why he goes to the sea.
· It has, however, a highly irregular shape with bulges and indentations of various sizes, as shown in Fig. 21.3.· Several years ago there was a fine armadillo whose body consisted of automobile tires of various sizes.· It comes in various sizes of large sheets as well as the small sizes available in hardware shops.· There are numerous cultivars in various sizes and shapes to choose from.· They were of various sizes and worked in the vehicle, aerospace, mechanical engineering and electronics industries.· It should be reinforced and decorated with rocks of various sizes.· These can be clamped together in groups of various sizes, depending on the layout of the venue.· On to one of the trays the children put beads of various sizes, wheels, cotton reels and rods.
· This section lists a selection of relevant material but excludes the various sources of data on shopping developments and associated planning inquiries.· Even the casual Beatles fan can enjoy cataloging the various sources for musical phrases in each song.· The community development corporation is legally incorporated and financed from various sources and runs an economic development programme.· News editors wade through reams of stories from various sources and channel potential items to the producer.· Funding can come from various sources.· Support from statutory services Professional services available to the carer come from various sources and vary a great deal from area to area.· Compiled from various sources - see text.
· Nor will managers succeed by putting greater emphasis on planning or simply overlapping various stages in the development process.· The statue shares space with dioramas, glassed-in scenes of the Capitol in various stages of its construction.· Let us now consider the various stages in framing a document profile.· The place was littered with barbed wire and rotting lumber and a dozen old boats in various stages of decay.· Minor items may spend many years at the various stages before being settled.· Despite these important similarities in parental reactions to various malformations, parents progress through the various stages of reaction differently.· As indicated above, it is important to take into consideration the needs of pupils at the various stages of their development.· Ben-Eliezer launched a review of contracts already signed for another 14,000 housing units, now in various stages of planning and construction.
· In Bloomington, Ill., police use a variety of gang definitions, cobbled together from various state and local edicts.· Half a dozen lawsuits were filed in various states over the access problems.· All in various states of disrepair.· All of the theories we have surveyed are in various states of disarray.· Severn Walker Brothers built railcars are known to have been preserved and are in various states of repair.· One after another, various State enterprises in charge of importing foreign produce collapsed: Alimag, which specialized in food.· To the young man himself the important things are no doubt the various states of his body.· The others are in various states of distraction: Eddie is shifting from foot to foot.
· Numbers of Hurricanes were scrambled at various times during the mid-morning.· Most providers will provide details of their network topology and explain what service can be expected in various times of the day.· What major differences are there in the choices made at various times for starting steel works at Sheffield, Rotherham and Scunthorpe?· Rudi had been, at various times, a coffeehouse poet and an amateur philosopher, but nothing really came of it.· At various times Keynes operated on all three levels, and moved easily from one to another.· Moreover, different configurations may arise at various times.
· The rest of this section will illustrate various types of mismatch of vocabulary.· This question helps us determine the exact location for the various types of work that will be done.· There are various types of Show Jumping.· The camera tracks the movement of these materials, thus assisting in diagnosis of cancers or various types of cardiovascular disease.· Transmission routes, precautions, various types of treatment and so on are deliberately kept in the background.· Another place for data on companies are newspapers and magazines that rank companies according to various types of financial performance.· Firing powerful shells of various types, it had a very dangerous backblast.
· There are various ways to fix models in different sites.· Geoff and Kim detail their study of various ways to reduce water use in home toilets.· Fortunately, the government is generous and allows employers various ways to reduce tax and national insurance payments.· Finally, critics attack the various ways in which history itself has developed.· Systems have used information about the orthography of words to select output from a pattern recogniser in various ways.· They are run by separate trustees and staff and compete in various ways.· Duncan reminds us of the antiquity of the propensity to quantify the doings of people in various ways.· Both, in their various ways, provide the sort of information which is of real value to practitioners.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
- Circumstances, many and various, may mean there's no way forward for that relationship.
- Conjectures about the newcomer were many and various.
- Member States refused to meet the claims of the many and various creditors, third parties to the International Tin Agreement.
- The influences on Laski's political and legal thought are many and various.
- The reasons why teenage girls get pregnant are many and various.
- There are many and various racket strings to choose from.
- There were also many and various stories of his birth.
WORD FAMILYnounvariablevariancevariantvarietyvariabilityvariationadjectivevariable ≠ invariablevariedvariousadverbvariably ≠ invariablyvariouslyverbvary
1if there are various things, there are several different types of that thing: The jacket is available in various colours. There are various ways to answer your question. He decided to leave school for various reasons.2many and various British English, various and sundry American English many different types of something: The reasons why teenage girls get pregnant are many and various.