I. ˈver-ē-ə-bəl adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin variabilis, from variare to vary
Date: 14th century
1.
a. : able or apt to vary : subject to variation or changes
variable winds
variable costs
b. : fickle , inconstant
2. : characterized by variations
3. : having the characteristics of a variable
4. : not true to type : aberrant — used of a biological group or character
• var·i·abil·i·ty ˌver-ē-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē noun
• var·i·able·ness ˈver-ē-ə-bəl-nəs noun
• var·i·ably -blē adverb
II. noun
Date: 1816
1.
a. : a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values
b. : a symbol representing a variable
2. : something that is variable
3. : variable star