noun

variation

veh-uh-rih-AYSHN

noun

A change, or the act of changing, in the form, amount, or quality of something.

"There's a lot of variation in prices between the two supermarkets."

"Seasonal variation in temperature affects when the crops are planted."

A version of something that differs somewhat from the original or from others of its kind.

"The chef served a variation on the traditional dish, with a citrus twist."

In music, a passage that reworks a melody with changes to rhythm, harmony, or ornamentation.

"Beethoven wrote a set of variations on a simple theme by Diabelli."

How to Use Variation

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishVariation is difference or change — whether in temperature, in a recipe, or in a piece of music built around a repeated theme.

Common pairings

seasonal variation slight variation theme and variations

variations plural

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There's a lot of _____ in prices between the two supermarkets.

From Old French variacion, from Latin variatio, from variare, "to vary, to change."

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