various

[ vair-ee-uhs ]

adjective

1. of different kinds, as two or more things; differing one from another:

   Various experiments have not proved his theory.

   Antonyms: similar, uniform, same, identical

2. marked by or exhibiting variety or diversity:

   houses of various designs.

   Synonyms: sundry

3. presenting or having many different qualities or aspects:

   a woman of various talent.

   Synonyms: divers, varied, variegated, diversified

4. having a variety of colors; varicolored.
5. different from each other; dissimilar.
6. variant.
7. numerous; many:

   living at various hotels.

8. individual (in a group, class, kind, etc.); separate:

   permission from various officials in Washington.

pronoun

1. Informal. several, many, or numerous ones:

   I spoke with various of them.

various

/ ˈvɛərɪəs /

determiner

1. 1. several different

      he is an authority on various subjects

   2. ( as pronoun; followed by of )

      various of them came

adjective

1. of different kinds, though often within the same general category; diverse

   various occurrences

   his disguises are many and various

2. prenominal relating to a collection of separate persons or things

   the various members of the club

3. displaying variety; many-sided

   his various achievements are most impressive

4. poetic.
   variegated
5. obsolete.
   inconstant

Usage

The use of different after various should be avoided: the disease exists in various forms (not in various different forms )

Derived Forms

• ˈvariousness, noun
• ˈvariously, adverb

Other Words From

• vari·ous·ly adverb
• vari·ous·ness noun
• non·vari·ous adjective
• non·vari·ous·ly adverb
• non·vari·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of various¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin varius “speckled, variegated,” hence “manifold, diverse”; -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of various¹

C16: from Latin varius changing; perhaps related to Latin vārus crooked

Example Sentences

The team hopes that their new bio-inspired microfluidic fabrication technique could be used in various fields of science and engineering, potentially leading to more efficient microreactors, advanced heat exchangers, and innovative tissue engineering scaffolds.

From Science Daily

Each card represents different genetic traits that help the species survive various challenges -- disease resistance, temperature tolerance, or the ability to find food.

From Science Daily

Alonso testified that he’s seen the five-pointed star used by various gangs in L.A., including the Trouble Gangster Crips, about eight different Hoover gangs, and two factions of the Black P-Stones.

From Los Angeles Times

When campaigning to stay in power ahead of the 2016 elections, Mahama highlighted various infrastructure projects completed under his administration, such as those in the transportation, health, and education sectors.

From BBC

Phosphorus plays an essential role in various biological processes, like creating DNA structure and facilitating the energy transfer between cells, Li explained.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• assorted
• different
• discrete
• disparate
• distinct
• diverse
• diversified
• individual
• numerous
• separate
• sundry
• varied

When To Use

What are other ways to say various?

Various means “of different kinds” or “differing one from another.” How does various compare to different, distinct, and diverse? Find out on Thesaurus.com.