1
as in adjustable
capable of being readily changed
a variable expense that we could reduce if we needed to
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
highly variable income from his job as a real estate agent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in variable star
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples 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 variable
Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Oct. 2024
Democrats would actually benefit if overall turnout is lower because this scenario would limit the impact of Trump's more variable voter base.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Charlie Wood, WIRED, 3 Nov. 2024
As sales and revenue operations teams look toward 2025, geopolitical concerns, the U.S. elections, inflation’s soft landing and a smattering of other variables will influence how leaders approach annual planning.
—Sean Brophy, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for variable 
Adjective
This lawnmower-like machine is made with several helpful features, including variable height adjustment to accommodate multiple users.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Oct. 2024
Democrats would actually benefit if overall turnout is lower because this scenario would limit the impact of Trump's more variable voter base.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
And in these two theories, all the variables—properties like particle momentums—go in the denominator.
—Charlie Wood, WIRED, 3 Nov. 2024
As sales and revenue operations teams look toward 2025, geopolitical concerns, the U.S. elections, inflation’s soft landing and a smattering of other variables will influence how leaders approach annual planning.
—Sean Brophy, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for variable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for variable
Adjective
-
Over the past four years, Bitcoin has been extremely volatile, as shown by the 2022 collapse of the crypto giant FTX.Deena Zaidi, Quartz, 13 Nov. 2024
-
By investing in these areas now, businesses are laying the groundwork for long-term success in an increasingly volatile and complex global environment beyond today’s election.Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Stars that change in brightness, known as variable stars, get brighter and dimmer; supernovas burst into view and then gradually fade away; and thousands of objects too faint to see with the unaided eye, like asteroids, move steadily across the sky.Dan Falk, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 June 2024
-
Using these variable stars, scientists can measure the distances to galaxies up to about 100 million light-years from us.Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 19 Jan. 2024
Adjective
-
Unisex yet adaptable, the Hikelite 26 is now offered with a wider and taller frame for a more inclusive fit.Outside Online, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024
-
Researchers were able to conduct CT scans of the fossil, which revealed insights into the arthropod’s adaptable head and appendages.Ashley Strickland, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
If a deer is seen crossing or standing beside a road, slow down, because deer can be highly unpredictable and often travel in herds.Gary Stoller, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
-
What’s clear is that Mr. Trump is unconventional, unpredictable, and transactional – traits that are likely to double as the de facto strategic guideposts for the next four years.Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
After the nova, the white dwarf returns to its normal size, and starts the process all over again.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
-
But the discovery of an Earth-like planet orbiting a white dwarf—the stage of stellar evolution that follows a red giant—provides evidence that survival is a possibility, researchers reported last week in Nature Astronomy.Christie Wilcox, science.org, 30 Sep. 2024
Adjective
-
Underfoot, the flexible sole provides unobtrusive support and a stable, comfortable platform without drawing attention to itself.The Editors, Outside Online, 18 Nov. 2024
-
In total, that means the system is more accessible than some mini PCs, but not as flexible or upgradable as a traditional tower.PCMAG, PCMAG, 16 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Scientists know that stellar corpses are densely packed with neutrons — one teaspoon of neutron star material would weigh as much as Mount Everest.Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
-
The group calculated that approximately one in three gravitational waves of the right sort (neutron star collisions work best since their mergers last longer than black hole mergers) would make the bar ring with one quantum unit of energy.Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Measurements of distances to quasars based on radio-interferometric techniques, for instance, are advancing, and there are prospects for using fluctuations in galaxy-surface brightness.Marc Kamionkowski, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
-
Or at least a lot like quasars from more recent periods in the Universe's history.John Timmer, Ars Technica, 17 June 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near variable
Cite this Entry
“Variable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/variable. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share