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

Everybody can just get out there and watch them and try to appreciate the variation of their plumage.

From Salon

But why would we evolve to have such variation in our color recognition?

From Salon

The CCW’s data is not calculated as a percentage of individual bills, which differ significantly owing to regional variations and usage levels for those on a meter.

From BBC

Chen was particularly drawn to “Didi,” and the opportunity to play a well-rounded variation of a character she knows well.

From Los Angeles Times

Far-right men are harassing women on social media with variations of a message that neo-Nazi livestreamer Nick Fuentes posted to his X account: "Your body. My choice. Forever."

From Salon

Related Words

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