VARIOUS Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'various' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of various are different , disparate , divergent , and diverse . While all these words mean "unlike in kind or character," various stresses the number of sorts or kinds. // tried various methods

Q: When could 'different' be used to replace 'various'?

While the synonyms different and various are close in meaning, different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness. // different foods

Q: When is it sensible to use 'disparate' instead of 'various'?

The synonyms disparate and various are sometimes interchangeable, but disparate emphasizes incongruity or incompatibility. // disparate notions of freedom

Q: When would 'divergent' be a good substitute for 'various'?

Although the words divergent and various have much in common, divergent implies movement away from each other and unlikelihood of ultimate meeting or reconciliation. // went on to pursue divergent careers

Q: When is 'diverse' a more appropriate choice than 'various'?

In some situations, the words diverse and various are roughly equivalent. However, diverse implies both distinctness and marked contrast. // such diverse interests as dancing and football

various

adjective

ˈver-ē-əs

Definition of various next

as in varied

marked by a variety of usually vivid colors for their various and bizarrely shaped plumage, males of the bird of paradise species have few rivals

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How is the word various different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of various are different, disparate, divergent, and diverse. While all these words mean "unlike in kind or character," various stresses the number of sorts or kinds.

tried various methods

When could different be used to replace various?

While the synonyms different and various are close in meaning, different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness.

different foods

When is it sensible to use disparate instead of various?

The synonyms disparate and various are sometimes interchangeable, but disparate emphasizes incongruity or incompatibility.

disparate notions of freedom

When would divergent be a good substitute for various?

Although the words divergent and various have much in common, divergent implies movement away from each other and unlikelihood of ultimate meeting or reconciliation.

went on to pursue divergent careers

When is diverse a more appropriate choice than various?

In some situations, the words diverse and various are roughly equivalent. However, diverse implies both distinctness and marked contrast.

such diverse interests as dancing and football

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of various The ride-hailing company will use Intel’s Mobileye AV tech and Japanese conglomerate Marubeni’s fleet of cars at launch, CEO David Risher revealed in a series of posts on X. Marubeni currently manages over 900,000 vehicles globally through various subsidiaries and joint ventures. —

Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 11 Feb. 2025 Caruso ordered hundreds of law enforcement officers and called on the Italian army for backup to stand guard at various checkpoints approaching the mountain to turn anyone away who hadn’t reserved a ski pass, hotel or who lived there. —

Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025 Beautification Mayor LaToya Cantrell recently announced the Love Your City initiative, which invites residents to clean up various neighborhoods throughout New Orleans. —

David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2025 There's no proof of this, but broader research, including commentary from various company executives outside of Dell, has shown that some companies have used RTO policies to try to get people to quit. —

Ars Technica, 31 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for various