variable
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See also: Variable
English
Etymology
Borrowed into Middle English in the 14th century from Old French variable, from Latin variare (“to change”), from varius (“different, various”). Equates to English vary + -able.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈvɛə.ɹi.ə.bl̩/
- (US, Mary–marry–merry distinction) IPA(key): /ˈvæɹ.i.ə.bl̩/
- (US, Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA(key): /ˈvɛɹ.i.ə.bl̩/
Audio (US) (file)
Adjective
variable (comparative more variable, superlative most 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 resistor
- Likely to vary.
- Synonyms: fickle, fluctuating, inconstant, shifting, unstable, unsteady; 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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :
- Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.
- Marked by diversity or difference.
- Synonyms: varying; see also Thesaurus:heterogeneous
- Antonyms: unchanging; see also Thesaurus:homogeneous
- (mathematics) Having no fixed quantitative value.
- Antonyms: constant, invariable
- (biology) Tending to deviate from a normal or recognized type.
- Synonym: aberrant
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
able to vary
|
likely to vary
|
marked by diversity or difference
|
mathematics: having no fixed quantitative value
|
biology: tending to deviate from a normal or recognized type
Noun
variable (plural variables)
- 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.
- 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.
- (mathematics) A quantity that may assume any one of a set of values.
- Synonyms: variable quantity; see also Thesaurus:variable
- (mathematics) A symbol representing a variable.
- (programming) A named memory location in which a program can store intermediate results and from which it can read them.
- (astronomy) A variable star.
- (nautical) A shifting wind, or one that varies in force.
- (nautical, 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
- 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
something that is variable
|
something whose value may be dictated or discovered
|
mathematics: a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values
|
mathematics: a symbol representing a variable
|
computing: a named mutable piece of storage
|
astronomy: a variable star — see variable star
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
See also
Further reading
- “variable”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “variable”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “variable”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Asturian
Etymology
From Latin variābilis.
Adjective
variable (epicene, plural variables)
Noun
variable f (plural variables)
- (mathematics) variable (a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values)
Related terms
Catalan
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin variābilis.
Pronunciation
Adjective
variable m or f (masculine and feminine plural variables)
- variable (able to vary)
- Antonym: invariable
- variable (likely to vary)
- Antonym: invariable
- (mathematics) variable (having no fixed quantitative value)
Derived terms
Noun
variable f (plural variables)
- variable (something that is variable)
- (mathematics) variable (a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values)
Related terms
Further reading
- “variable” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “variable”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
- “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
variable
- plural and definite singular attributive of variabel
Noun
variable
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin variābilis.
Pronunciation
Adjective
variable (plural variables)
- variable
- Antonym: invariable
Derived terms
Noun
variable f (plural variables)
- (mathematics) 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 , 2012.
Anagrams
Galician
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Latin variābilis.
Adjective
variable m or f (plural variables)
- variable, changeable
- Antonym: invariable
Noun
variable f (plural variables)
Related terms
Norwegian Bokmål
Adjective
variable
Norwegian Nynorsk
Adjective
variable
Spanish
Etymology
From Latin variābilis.
Pronunciation
Adjective
variable m or f (masculine and feminine plural variables)
Derived terms
Noun
variable f (plural variables)
Derived terms
Further reading
- “variable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Swedish
Adjective
variable