People sometimes use varsity to describe things that relate to universities, especially sports activities or teams at a university or competitions between universities.
[British, mainly journalism]
Women must have the same opportunities to participate in varsity sports.
2. countable noun [oft NOUN noun]
The varsity is the main or first team for a particular sport at a high school, college, or university.
[US]
She has been in the playoffs every year since she made the varsity.
He also played for the varsity basketball team.
varsity in British English
(ˈvɑːsɪtɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-ties
British, New Zealand and South Africa informal
university, formerly used esp at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge
varsity in American English
(ˈvɑrsəti)
nounWord forms: pluralˈvarsities
1.
the main team that represents a university, college, or school in some competition, esp. an athletic one
2. British, Informal
university
adjective
3.
designating or of the varsity (sense 1) team or competition
Word origin
contr. & altered < university
Examples of 'varsity' in a sentence
varsity
This was my thirteenth consecutive Varsity match.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Is the Varsity match still relevant?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
One of the difficulties watching the Varsity match last week was that the game was over as a contest by the end of the first half.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
I've still got the cuttings from the weeks preceding my first two Varsity matches.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
All related terms of 'varsity'
varsity match
→ the varsity match
junior varsity
a team that represents a school , college , etc. on a level just below the varsity team in games or contests
varsity sports
sports involving the main or first teams at a high school, college , or university
the varsity match
a sporting fixture between Oxford and Cambridge university rugby teams
junior varsity sports
sports played at the second highest rank for university sports, ranking first after varsity