variable
English
Etymology
Borrowed into Middle EnglishCategory:English terms inherited from Middle English#VARIABLECategory:English terms derived from Middle English#VARIABLE in the 14th century from Old FrenchCategory:English terms derived from Old French#VARIABLE variable, from LatinCategory:English terms derived from Latin#VARIABLE variare (“to change”), from varius (“different, various”). Equates to English vary + -ableCategory:English terms suffixed with -able#VARIABLE.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): [ˈvɛə.ɹi.ə.bl̩]Category:English terms with IPA pronunciation#VARIABLE
- (US, without the Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA(key): [ˈvæɹ.i.ə.bl̩]Category:English terms with IPA pronunciation#VARIABLE
- (US, Canada, Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA(key): [ˈvɛɹ.i.ə.bl̩]Category:English terms with IPA pronunciation#VARIABLE
- (General Australian) IPA(key): [ˈveː.ɹi.ə.bl̩]Category:English terms with IPA pronunciation#VARIABLE
Adjective
variable (comparative more variable, superlative most variable)Category:English lemmas#VARIABLECategory:English adjectives#VARIABLECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
- Able to vary or be varied.
- Synonyms: alterable, flexible, changeable, mutable; see also Thesaurus:mutable
- Antonyms: constant, invariable, immutable, unalterable, unchangeable; see also Thesaurus:immutable
- variable winds or seasons; a variable quantity; a variable resistorCategory:English terms with usage examples#VARIABLE
- Likely to vary.
- Synonyms: fickle, fluctuating, inconstant, shifting, unstable, unsteady, up-and-down; see also Thesaurus:unsteady, Thesaurus:changeable
- Antonyms: constant, invariable, immutable, unchangeable; see also Thesaurus:steady, Thesaurus:changeless
- c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
- Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.Category:English terms with quotations#VARIABLE
- Marked by diversity or difference.
- Synonyms: varying; see also Thesaurus:heterogeneous
- Antonyms: unchanging; see also Thesaurus:homogeneous
- (mathematicsCategory:en:Mathematics#VARIABLE) Having no fixed quantitative value.
- Antonyms: constant, invariable
- (biologyCategory:en:Biology#VARIABLE) Tending to deviate from a normal or recognized type.
- Synonym: aberrant
Synonyms
Derived terms
- continuous variable valve timing
- controlled variable time
- multivariable
- variability
- variabilize
- variable antshrike
- variable binding
- variable cam timing
- variable cost
- variable font
- variable geometry
- variable-length array
- variable neon slug
- variableness
- variable squirrel
- variable sweep
- variable tandem repeat locus
- variable valve timing
Translations
Noun
variable (plural variables)Category:English lemmas#VARIABLECategory:English nouns#VARIABLECategory:English countable nouns#VARIABLECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
- Something that is variable.
- Synonym: changeable
- Antonyms: constant, invariable
- Something whose value may be dictated or discovered.
- Synonym: parameter
- There are several variables to consider here.Category:English terms with usage examples#VARIABLE
- 2013 May-June, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 193:
- Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. A recent study explored the ecological variables that may contribute to bats’ propensity to harbor such zoonotic diseases by comparing them with another order of common reservoir hosts: rodents.Category:English terms with quotations#VARIABLE
- (mathematicsCategory:en:Mathematics#VARIABLE) A quantity that may assume any one of a set of values.
- Synonyms: variable quantity; see also Thesaurus:variable
- (mathematicsCategory:en:Mathematics#VARIABLE) A symbol representing a variable.
- (programmingCategory:en:Programming#VARIABLE) A named memory location in which a program can store intermediate results and from which it can read them.
- (astronomyCategory:en:Astronomy#VARIABLE) A variable star.
- (nauticalCategory:en:Nautical#VARIABLE) A shifting wind, or one that varies in force.
- (nauticalCategory:en:Nautical#VARIABLE, in the plural) Those parts of the sea where a steady wind is not expected, especially the parts between the trade-wind belts.
Hyponyms
- across variable
- Algol variable
- Bernoulli variable
- Boolean variable
- bound variable
- cardinal variable
- categorical variable
- Cepheid variable
- cepheid variable
- class variable
- cluster variable
- confounding variable
- continuously variable transmission
- continuous variable
- control variable
- dependent variable
- discrete variable
- dummy variable
- environment variable
- extraneous variable
- flow variable
- free variable
- helium variable
- hidden variable
- hypergeometric random variable
- independent variable
- indicator variable
- instance variable
- interval variable
- latent variable
- manipulated variable
- member variable
- metasyntactic variable
- Mira variable
- motor variable
- nominal variable
- normal random variable
- ordinal variable
- outcome variable
- pattern variable
- predictor variable
- propositional variable
- random variable
- ratio variable
- reference variable
- register variable
- responding variable
- schematic variable
- slack variable
- sociolinguistic variable
- standardized variable
- standard normal random variable
- state variable
- stock variable
- through variable
- variable variable
- See also Thesaurus:variable
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
See also
Further reading
- “variable”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “variable”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
- “variable”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Asturian
Etymology
From LatinCategory:Asturian terms derived from Latin#VARIABLE variābilis.
Adjective
variable (epicene, plural variables)Category:Asturian lemmas#VARIABLECategory:Asturian adjectives#VARIABLECategory:Asturian entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
Noun
variable f (plural variables)Category:Asturian lemmas#VARIABLECategory:Asturian nouns#VARIABLECategory:Asturian entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Asturian feminine nouns#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
- (mathematicsCategory:ast:Mathematics#VARIABLE) variable (a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values)
Related terms
Catalan
Etymology
Borrowed from LatinCategory:Catalan terms borrowed from Latin#VARIABLECategory:Catalan terms derived from Latin#VARIABLE variābilis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (Central) [bə.ɾiˈab.blə]Category:Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation#VARIABLE
- IPA(key): (Balearic) [və.ɾiˈab.blə]Category:Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation#VARIABLE
- IPA(key): (Valencia) [va.ɾiˈa.ble]Category:Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation#VARIABLE
Category:Catalan terms with audio pronunciation#VARIABLEAudio (Barcelona): (file)
Adjective
variable m or f (masculine and feminine plural variables)Category:Catalan lemmas#VARIABLECategory:Catalan adjectives#VARIABLECategory:Catalan epicene adjectives#VARIABLECategory:Catalan entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
- variable (able to vary)
- Antonym: invariable
- variable (likely to vary)
- Antonym: invariable
- (mathematicsCategory:ca:Mathematics#VARIABLE) variable (having no fixed quantitative value)
Derived terms
Noun
variable f (plural variables)Category:Catalan lemmas#VARIABLECategory:Catalan nouns#VARIABLECategory:Catalan countable nouns#VARIABLECategory:Catalan feminine nouns with no feminine ending#VARIABLECategory:Catalan entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Catalan feminine nouns#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
- variable (something that is variable)
- (mathematicsCategory:ca:Mathematics#VARIABLE) variable (a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values)
Related terms
Further reading
- “variable”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
- “variable”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
- “variable” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “variable” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Danish
Adjective
variableCategory:Danish non-lemma forms#VARIABLECategory:Danish adjective forms#VARIABLECategory:Danish entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
- plural and definite singular attributive of variabel
Noun
variableCategory:Danish non-lemma forms#VARIABLECategory:Danish noun forms#VARIABLECategory:Danish entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
French
Etymology
Borrowed from LatinCategory:French terms borrowed from Latin#VARIABLECategory:French terms derived from Latin#VARIABLE variābilis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /va.ʁjabl/Category:French 2-syllable words#VARIABLECategory:French terms with IPA pronunciation#VARIABLE
Category:French terms with audio pronunciation#VARIABLEAudio (France (Paris)): (file)
Category:French terms with audio pronunciation#VARIABLEAudio (France (Vosges)): (file)
Category:French terms with audio pronunciation#VARIABLEAudio (France (Vosges)): (file)
Adjective
variable (plural variables)Category:French lemmas#VARIABLECategory:French adjectives#VARIABLECategory:French entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
- variable
- Antonym: invariable
Derived terms
Noun
variable f (plural variables)Category:French lemmas#VARIABLECategory:French nouns#VARIABLECategory:French countable nouns#VARIABLECategory:French entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:French feminine nouns#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
- (mathematicsCategory:fr:Mathematics#VARIABLE) variable (quantity that may assume any one of a set of values)
- Antonym: constante
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- “variable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012
Anagrams
Galician
Alternative forms
Etymology
From LatinCategory:Galician terms derived from Latin#VARIABLE variābilis.
Adjective
variable m or f (plural variables)Category:Galician lemmas#VARIABLECategory:Galician adjectives#VARIABLECategory:Galician epicene adjectives#VARIABLECategory:Galician entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
- variable, changeable
- Antonym: invariable
Noun
variable f (plural variables)Category:Galician lemmas#VARIABLECategory:Galician nouns#VARIABLECategory:Galician countable nouns#VARIABLECategory:Galician entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Galician feminine nouns#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
Related terms
Norwegian Bokmål
Adjective
variableCategory:Norwegian Bokmål non-lemma forms#VARIABLECategory:Norwegian Bokmål adjective forms#VARIABLECategory:Norwegian Bokmål entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
Norwegian Nynorsk
Adjective
variableCategory:Norwegian Nynorsk non-lemma forms#VARIABLECategory:Norwegian Nynorsk adjective forms#VARIABLECategory:Norwegian Nynorsk entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
Spanish
Etymology
From LatinCategory:Spanish terms derived from Latin#VARIABLE variābilis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /baˈɾjable/ [baˈɾja.β̞le]Category:Spanish 3-syllable words#VARIABLECategory:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation#VARIABLE
- Rhymes: -ableCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/able#VARIABLECategory:Rhymes:Spanish/able/3 syllables#VARIABLE
- Syllabification: va‧ria‧ble
Adjective
variable m or f (masculine and feminine plural variables)Category:Spanish lemmas#VARIABLECategory:Spanish adjectives#VARIABLECategory:Spanish epicene adjectives#VARIABLECategory:Spanish entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
Derived terms
Noun
variable f (plural variables)Category:Spanish lemmas#VARIABLECategory:Spanish nouns#VARIABLECategory:Spanish countable nouns#VARIABLECategory:Spanish entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Spanish feminine nouns#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE
Derived terms
Further reading
- “variable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
Swedish
Adjective
variableCategory:Swedish non-lemma forms#VARIABLECategory:Swedish adjective forms#VARIABLECategory:Swedish entries with incorrect language header#VARIABLECategory:Pages with entries#VARIABLECategory:Pages with 10 entries#VARIABLE