various

The word “various” means more than one; several different (things or people). In plain terms, various means "several different ones," used either as a determiner ("various reasons") or an adjective describing diversity.

“Various” is pronounced VEH-uh-ree-uhs (/ˈvɛəɹi.əs/ in IPA).

Here is “various” used in a sentence: “Various people have asked about the refund policy this week.”

Words with a similar meaning to “various” include diverse, manifold, miscellaneous, motley, multifarious and sundry.

The opposite of “various” — its antonyms — is monotonous.

Depending on how it is used, “various” can be a det and an adjective.

The word “various” comes from Latin. From Latin varius, "different, diverse, changeable" — the same root that gives us "vary" and "variety.".

“Various” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Both suggest more than one, but they stress different things. "Several" simply means a fairly small number — more than two but not many. "Various" emphasises variety, meaning the things are not just numerous but also different from one another. "Several books" counts them; "various books" highlights that they differ in kind.

"Different" points out that things are not alike, and can describe just two items. "Various" means several things that are different — it always implies more than one and combines number with variety. You can say two colours are "different," but you would describe a whole assortment of colours as "various."

You might say, "The shop sells various types of cheese," meaning it offers several different kinds. Other examples include "people came from various countries" or "we tried various approaches before one worked." In each case, "various" signals both a number of things and the fact that they differ.