variation

[ vair-ee-ey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act, process, or accident of varying in condition, character, or degree:

   Prices are subject to variation.

   Synonyms: difference, divergence, deviation, modification, alteration, mutation

2. an instance of this:

   There is a variation in the quality of fabrics in this shipment.

3. amount, rate, extent, or degree of change:

   a temperature variation of 40° in a particular climate.

4. a different form of something; variant.
5. Music.
   1. the transformation of a melody or theme with changes or elaborations in harmony, rhythm, and melody.
   2. a varied vary form of a melody or theme, especially one of a series of such forms developing the capacities of the subject.
6. Ballet. a solo dance, especially one forming a section of a pas de deux.
7. Astronomy. any deviation from the mean orbit of a heavenly body, especially of a planetary or satellite orbit.
8. Also called magnetic declination, Navigation. the angle between the geographic and the magnetic meridian at a given point, expressed in plus degrees east or minus degrees west of true north. Compare deviation ( def 4 ).
9. Biology. a difference or deviation in structure or character from others of the same species or group.

variation

/ ˌvɛərɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act, process, condition, or result of changing or varying; diversity
2. an instance of varying or the amount, rate, or degree of such change
3. something that differs from a standard or convention
4. music
   1. a repetition of a musical theme in which the rhythm, harmony, or melody is altered or embellished
   2. ( as modifier )

      variation form

5. biology
   1. a marked deviation from the typical form or function
   2. a characteristic or an organism showing this deviation
6. astronomy any change in or deviation from the mean motion or orbit of a planet, satellite, etc, esp a perturbation of the moon
7. another word for magnetic declination
8. ballet a solo dance
9. linguistics any form of morphophonemic change, such as one involved in inflection, conjugation, or vowel mutation

Derived Forms

• ˌvariˈationally, adverb
• ˌvariˈational, adjective

Other Words From

• vari·ation·al var·i·a·tive [vair, -ee-ey-tiv], adjective
• vari·ation·al·ly vari·ative·ly adverb
• inter·vari·ation noun
• nonvar·i·ation noun
• over·vari·ation noun
• prevar·i·ation noun
• self-vari·ation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of variation¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin variātiōn-, stem of variātiō; equivalent to variate + -ion; replacing Middle English variacioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above

Example Sentences

However, Cothran's new research collaboration, led by the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, has uncovered that the Y chromosome does have meaningful variation and is important for species diversity.

From Science Daily

The figures are rounded to the nearest 50,000, with Kendall adding this meant "small variations" in the underlying numbers could "lead to much larger changes in the rounded headline numbers".

From BBC

Despite living in connected coastal waters, piangua populations in different areas maintain subtle genetic variations.

From Science Daily

"We felt these four diet scenarios gave us a good variation of diet types from low meat to higher quantities of meat and dairy while also maintaining cultural relevance," noted DeCesaro.

From Science Daily

"This research opens possibilities for personalised meal plans for astronauts and individuals living alone on Earth, showcasing VR's potential to explore variations in eating when stressed," she said.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• abnormality
• alteration
• change
• deviation
• discrepancy
• disparity
• divergence
• diversity
• fluctuation
• innovation
• modification
• mutation
• shift
• variety