variable
Noun pluralvariables
Pluralvariables
- 1Able to be changed, or able to change on its own.
Like the volume on a radio that you can turn up or down.
Spring weather in the mountains is highly variable.
The new plan offers variable working hours instead of a fixed shift.
Similarchangeable, flexible, adjustable, alterable, modifiable
Oppositeconstant, unchangeable, invariable, immutable
Note
- 2Likely to change from one time to the next.
Like the weather, which can be sunny one hour and rainy the next.
Stock prices can be very variable during times of uncertainty.
Her mood was variable, swinging between cheer and gloom within hours.
Similarunstable, fluctuating, inconstant, shifting, irregular
Oppositeconstant, steady, invariable, unchangeable
Note
- 3A number or amount that can take any value from a set of choices.
Like an empty box that can hold any number you choose to put in it.
In the equation, x is the variable we need to solve for.
Time is the variable that changes in this experiment.
Oppositeconstant
Note
- 4Having no set amount or value.
Like a price that keeps changing instead of staying the same.
The interest rate on this loan is variable, not fixed.
Shipping costs here are variable and depend on weight.
Similarchangeable, adjustable, fluctuating
Oppositeconstant, invariable
Note
- 5Anything that can change or be changed.
Like the one thing in a plan that keeps changing on you.
In planning a trip, the weather is the one variable you can't control.
Cost is an important variable when choosing a new phone.
Similarfactor
Oppositeconstant, invariable
- 6A named spot in a computer's memory where a program keeps values and reads them back.
Like a labeled box where a program puts a number so it can find it again later.
The program saves the score in a variable called points.
You can change what the variable holds while the code runs.
Oppositeconstant
Note
- 7A letter or sign that stands for a changing number.
Like a blank in a sentence where any name could go.
In algebra, the letter x is a common variable.
Replace the variable with the number you measured.
Oppositeconstant
Note
- 8Made up of different kinds, not all the same.
Like a bag of mixed candy where every piece is different.
The crowd was variable, with people of all ages and backgrounds.
Reviews of the film were variable, ranging from praise to scorn.
Similardiverse, varied, various, mixed, diversified
Oppositeunchanging
- 9
- 10Tending to differ from the usual or expected kind.
Like dogs of one breed that still come in many sizes and colors.
This species is highly variable, so two specimens can look quite different.
The plant's leaf shape is variable from one region to another.
Similaraberrant
Oppositeconstant, uniform, stable, invariable
Note
Less common meanings
- 11A star whose brightness changes over time.
Like a lamp that slowly brightens and dims on its own.
Astronomers tracked the variable for several nights to chart its changing light.
This star is a variable, dimming and brightening every few days.
Note
- 12A wind that keeps shifting direction or changing in strength.
Like a fan that keeps swinging back and forth instead of blowing one way.
The sailors struggled as a variable kept changing the set of the sails.
A light variable made it hard to keep the boat on course.
Note
- 13Areas of the ocean where the wind does not blow in a steady way, often found between the trade winds.
Like a still patch on a lake where the breeze suddenly stops.
Old sailors hated the variables, where a ship might drift for days with no wind.
Their boat crawled into a windless variable and sat there for nearly a week.
Note
Showing meanings only.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of variable apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
It came into English in the 1300s from Old French, from a Latin word meaning 'to change'.