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URL: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/vary

⇱ VARY Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com


vary

American  
[vair-ee] / ˈvɛər i /

verb (used with object)

varied, varying
  1. to change or alter, as in form, appearance, character, or substance.

    to vary one's methods.

    Synonyms:
    mutate, modify
  2. to cause to be different from something else.

    The orchestra varied last night's program with one new selection.

  3. to avoid or relieve from uniformity or monotony; diversify.

    to vary one's diet.

  4. Music. to alter (a melody or theme) by modification or embellishments without changing its identity.


verb (used without object)

varied, varying
  1. to show diversity; be different.

    The age at which children are ready to read varies.

  2. to undergo change in appearance, form, substance, character, etc..

    The landscape begins to vary as one drives south.

  3. to change periodically or in succession; differ or alternate.

    Demand for certain products varies with the season.

  4. to diverge; depart; deviate (usually followed byfrom ).

    to vary from the norm.

  5. Mathematics. to be subject to change.

  6. Biology. to exhibit variation.

vary British  
/ ˈvɛərɪ /

verb

  1. to undergo or cause to undergo change, alteration, or modification in appearance, character, form, attribute, etc

  2. to be different or cause to be different; be subject to change

  3. (tr) to give variety to

  4. to differ, as from a convention, standard, etc

  5. (intr) to change in accordance with another variable

    her mood varies with the weather

    pressure varies directly with temperature and inversely with volume

  6. (tr) music to modify (a theme) by the use of variation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • intervary verb (used without object)
  • overvary verb
  • self-varying adjective
  • unvarying adjective
  • unvaryingly adverb
  • varier noun
  • varying adjective
  • varyingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of vary

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English varien, from Latin variāre, equivalent to vari(us) ( various ) + -āre infinitive suffix

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With a 10-year HELOC, you are also facing current borrowing costs of roughly 8%, but they vary anywhere between 4.7% to 11.7% depending on the size of the loan and/or the borrower’s credit score.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Researchers María Dolores Gadea Rivas of the University of Zaragoza, Spain and Jesús Gonzalo of University Carlos III, Spain found that warming patterns vary widely across the country, pointing to the need for location-specific responses.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

The consequences of the tariff changes will vary widely depending on the product.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Estimates of Musk’s wealth vary, largely depending on how his private companies—which also include Neuralink and the Boring Co.—are valued.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

The way the effect is exerted may vary, but the end result is always the same.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.