varsity
2 synonyms for varsity, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The main sports team representing a school, college, or university, as opposed to junior or reserve teams.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
first team
top team
How to use varsity
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
varsity team
varsity football
make varsity
Mainly used in American English school and college sports; British English rarely uses this term.
Etymology
A clipped, altered form of "university," reflecting an old British pronunciation. First recorded in the mid-1600s.
Full origin of varsity →Frequently asked questions
What does “varsity” mean?
The word “varsity” means the main sports team representing a school, college, or university, as opposed to junior or reserve teams. In plain terms, varsity refers to a school's top-level, main sports team.
How do you pronounce “varsity”?
“Varsity” is pronounced VAH-sih-tee (/ˈvɑɹ.sɪ.ti/ in IPA).
How do you use “varsity” in a sentence?
Here is “varsity” used in a sentence: “She made the varsity basketball team as a sophomore.”
What part of speech is “varsity”?
“Varsity” is a noun.
Where does the word “varsity” come from?
The word “varsity” dates back to around 1600. A clipped, altered form of "university," reflecting an old British pronunciation. First recorded in the mid-1600s.
Is “varsity” a common word?
“Varsity” is an uncommon word in modern English.
What is the difference between varsity and junior varsity?
Varsity refers to the top-level, main sports team representing a school or university, while junior varsity (JV) is a secondary or developmental squad below it. Varsity teams typically compete against other schools' top teams and represent the highest standard of play at that institution.
Is varsity used outside of school sports?
Varsity is almost always used in the context of school, college, or university athletics. It occasionally appears in casual speech to mean the top-tier or most serious version of something, but that usage is informal and borrowed from the sports sense.
Is varsity American or British English?
Varsity is primarily American English, where it describes a school or college's main sports team. In British English the word originally referred to university sports (short for 'university') but is now much less common there than in the United States.
