adj
variable
VEH-uh-ree-uh-bl
adj
1
Likely to change, or capable of being changed.
"Mountain weather is famously variable, shifting from sun to snow in an hour."
"The interest rate on the loan is variable, not fixed."
noun
1
A factor or quantity that can change or take different values.
"Diet is just one variable that affects long-term health."
"In the experiment, temperature was the only variable they changed."
2
In programming, a named storage location that holds a value which can change while a program runs.
"The script stores the user's name in a variable called `username`."
How to Use Variable
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething variable can change, and a variable (the noun) is a thing — a factor, a quantity, or a piece of stored data — that is allowed to change.
Common pairings
variable rate
variable weather
independent variable
declare a variable
Word Forms
more variable comparative, variables plural, most variable superlative
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Mountain weather is famously _____, shifting from sun to snow in an hour.
Etymology
From Old French variable, from Latin variare, "to change," based on varius, "different, varied."