variable

See also: Variable

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French variable, from Latin variare (“to change”), from varius (“different, various”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈvɛəɹ.i.ə.bl̩/
• (US, Mary–marry–merry distinction) IPA^(key): /ˈvæɹ.i.ə.bl̩/
• (US, Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ˈvɛɹ.i.ə.bl̩/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

variable (comparative more variable, superlative most variable)

1. Able to vary.

   variable winds or seasons; a variable quantity

2. Likely to vary.
   • (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

3. Marked by diversity or difference.
4. (mathematics) Having no fixed quantitative value.
5. (biology) Tending to deviate from a normal or recognized type.

Synonyms

• (able to vary): alterable, flexible, changeable, mutable
• (likely to vary): fickle, fluctuating, inconstant, shifting, unstable, unsteady
• (marked by diversity or difference): varying
• (biology: tending to deviate from a normal or recognized type): aberrant

Antonyms

• (able to vary): constant, invariable, immutable, unalterable, unchangeable
• (likely to vary): constant, invariable, immutable, unchangeable
• (marked by diversity or difference): unchanging
• (mathematics: having no fixed quantitative value): constant, invariable

Derived terms

• variability
• variableness

Translations

able to vary

• Asturian: variable
• Azerbaijani: dəyişkən (az)
• Catalan: variable (ca)
• Czech: proměnlivý, variabilní, proměnný
• Dutch: veranderlijk (nl), variabel (nl), regelbaar (nl)
• Finnish: vaihteleva (fi), muuttuva (fi)
• French: variable (fr)
• Galician: variable (gl), variábel (gl)
• Georgian: ცვალებადი (cvalebadi)
• German: variabel (de)
• Greek: ευμετάβλητος (el) m (evmetávlitos), άστατος (el) m (ástatos), ευμετάβολος (el) m (evmetávolos)
• Hungarian: változó (hu)
• Italian: variabile (it), regolabile (it), flessiblie, modificabile (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 可変 (kahen), 変えられる (ja) (kaerareru)
• Malay: boleh ubah
• Maori: taurangi, tāupe
• Norwegian: variabel
• Persian: متغیر (fa) (moteğayyer)
• Polish: zmienny (pl) m
• Portuguese: variável (pt)
• Romanian: variabil (ro) m or n
• Russian: переме́нный (ru) (pereménnyj), изме́нчивый (ru) (izménčivyj), непостоя́нный (ru) (nepostojánnyj)
• Spanish: variable (es)
• Swedish: flexibel (sv), föränderlig (sv), reglerbar, rörlig (sv), ställbar (sv), variabel (sv)
• Telugu: మారగల (māragala), మారే (mārē)
• Turkish: değişken (tr)
• Ukrainian: змі́нний m (zmínnyj), мінли́вий (uk) m (minlývyj), змі́нна f (zmínna), мінли́ва f (minlýva)

likely to vary

• Asturian: variable
• Catalan: variable (ca)
• Dutch: veranderlijk (nl), variabel (nl), schommelend (nl), wisselend (nl), onbestendig (nl)
• Esperanto: varia (eo)
• Finnish: vaihteleva (fi), muuttuva (fi)
• Galician: variable (gl), variábel (gl)
• Georgian: ცვალებადი (cvalebadi)
• German: variabel (de)
• Hungarian: változékony (hu)
• Italian: variabile (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 変わりうる (kawariuru), 変わりやすい (kawariyasui)
• Maori: taurangi, tāupe
• Norwegian: variabel
• Polish: zmienny (pl) m
• Portuguese: variável (pt)
• Romanian: variabil (ro) m or n
• Russian: переме́нный (ru) (pereménnyj), изме́нчивый (ru) (izménčivyj), непостоя́нный (ru) (nepostojánnyj)
• Spanish: variable (es)
• Swedish: ombytlig (sv), ostadig (sv), växlande (sv)
• Telugu: అస్థిర (asthira)
• Ukrainian: змі́нний m (zmínnyj), мінли́вий (uk) m (minlývyj), змі́нна f (zmínna), мінли́ва f (minlýva)

marked by diversity or difference

• Dutch: veranderlijk (nl), variabel (nl), schommelend (nl), wisselend (nl), onbestendig (nl)
• Finnish: vaihteleva (fi)
• French: variable (fr)
• Georgian: ცვალებადი (cvalebadi)
• Greek: μεταβλητός (el) m (metavlitós)
• Italian: variabile (it)
• Norwegian: varierende
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: zmienny (pl) m
• Portuguese: variável (pt)
• Romanian: variabil (ro) m or n
• Russian: переме́нный (ru) (pereménnyj), изме́нчивый (ru) (izménčivyj), непостоя́нный (ru) (nepostojánnyj)
• Swedish: varierande (sv), omväxlande (sv)
• Ukrainian: змі́нний m (zmínnyj), мінли́вий (uk) m (minlývyj), змі́нна (zmínna), мінли́ва f (minlýva)

mathematics: having no fixed quantitative value

• Catalan: variable (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 變數／变数 (zh) (biànshù), 变数 (zh) (biànshù)

• Czech: variabilní, proměnný
• Dutch: veranderlijk (nl), variabel (nl)
• Estonian: muutuja
• Finnish: vaihteleva (fi)
• French: variable (fr) f
• Georgian: ცვლადი (cvladi)
• German: variabel (de)
• Greek: μεταβλητή (el) f (metavlití)
• Hebrew: משתנה (he) m (mishtane)
• Italian: variabile (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 可変 (kahen)
• Macedonian: про́менлив m (prómenliv)
• Maori: taurangi
• Norwegian: variabel
• Persian: متغیر (fa) (moteğayyer)
• Polish: zmienna (pl) f
• Portuguese: variável (pt)
• Romanian: variabil (ro) m or n
• Russian: переме́нный (ru) (pereménnyj), переме́нная (ru) f (pereménnaja)
• Swedish: variabel (sv)
• Tagalog: aligan
• Telugu: చర (cara)
• Ukrainian: змі́нна f (zmínna)

biology: tending to deviate from a normal or recognized type

• Norwegian: avvikende
• Polish: zmienny (pl) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Romanian: schimbabil m or n, variabil (ro) m or n
• Swedish: avvikande (sv)

Noun

variable (plural variables)

1. Something that is variable.
2. Something whose value may be dictated or discovered.
   • 2013 May-June, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 193:

     Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. A recent study explored the ecological variables that may contribute to bats’ propensity to harbor such zoonotic diseases by comparing them with another order of common reservoir hosts: rodents.

   There are several variables to consider here.

3. (mathematics) A quantity that may assume any one of a set of values.
4. (mathematics) A symbol representing a variable.
5. (programming) A named memory location in which a program can store intermediate results and from which it can read them.
6. (astronomy) A variable star.
7. (nautical) A shifting wind, or one that varies in force.
8. (nautical, in the plural) Those parts of the sea where a steady wind is not expected, especially the parts between the trade-wind belts.

Synonyms

• (something that is variable): changeable
• (something whose value may be dictated or discovered): parameter
• (mathematics: a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values): variable quantity

Antonyms

• (something that is variable): constant, invariable

Hyponyms

• bound variable
• categorical variable
• continuous variable
• dependent variable
• discrete variable
• flow variable
• free variable
• independent variable
• instance variable
• interval variable
• member variable
• metasyntactic variable
• nominal variable
• ordinal variable
• ratio variable
• stock variable
• variable variable

 

• See also Thesaurus:variable

Derived terms

• variably
• vary

 

Related terms

• variable star

Translations

something that is variable

• Asturian: variable f
• Catalan: variable (ca) f
• Czech: proměnná f
• Dutch: variabele (nl) m or f, veranderlijke (nl) m or f
• French: variable (fr) f
• Galician: variable (gl) f, variábel (gl) f
• German: Variable (de) f
• Italian: variabile (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norwegian: variabel m
• Polish: zmienny (pl) m
• Portuguese: variável (pt) f
• Romanian: variabilă (ro)
• Spanish: variable (es) f
• Swedish: variabel (sv) c
• Telugu: చరము (te) (caramu)
• Turkish: değişken (tr)

something whose value may be dictated or discovered

• Czech: faktor (cs) m
• Dutch: veranderlijke (nl) m or f, variabele (nl) m or f, variabele waarde f
• Finnish: muuttuja (fi)
• French: variable (fr) f, paramètre (fr) m
• German: Variable (de) f
• Italian: variabile (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norwegian: variabel m
• Portuguese: variável (pt) f
• Russian: неизве́стное (ru) n (neizvéstnoje)
• Swedish: parameter (sv) c, variabel (sv) c
• Turkish: değişken (tr)

mathematics: a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values

• Albanian: variabël
• Arabic: مُتَغَيِّر m (mutaḡayyir)
• Asturian: variable f
• Belarusian: пераме́нная f (pjeramjénnaja), зме́нная f (zmjénnaja)
• Bulgarian: проме́нлива (bg) f (proménliva)
• Burmese: ကိန်းရှင် (my) (kin:hrang)
• Catalan: variable (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 變數／变数 (zh) (biànshù), 变数 (zh) (biànshù), 變量／变量 (zh) (biànliàng), 变量 (zh) (biànliàng)

• Czech: proměnná f
• Danish: variabel c
• Dutch: variabele (nl) m or f, veranderlijke (nl) m or f
• Estonian: muutuja
• Finnish: muuttuja (fi)
• French: variable (fr) f, paramètre (fr) m
• Galician: variable (gl) f, variábel (gl) f
• German: Variable (de) f, Parameter (de) m
• Greek: μεταβλητή (el) f (metavlití)
• Hebrew: מִשְׁתַּנֶּה (he) f (mishtané)
• Hindi: चर (hi) (car)
• Hungarian: változó (hu)
• Icelandic: breyta (is) f
• Indonesian: variabel (id)
• Italian: variabile (it) f, parametro (it) m
• Japanese: 変数 (へんすう, hensū), 変項 (へんこう, henkō)
• Kazakh: айнымалы (ainymaly)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Khmer: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: 변수 (ko) (byeonsu) (變數 (ko))
• Lao: ຕົວແປ (tūa pǣ)
• Macedonian: променлива f (promenliva)
• Maori: taurangi
• Mongolian: хувьсагч (mn) (xuvʹsagč)
• Norwegian: variabel m
• Persian: متغیر (fa) (moteğayyer)
• Polish: zmienna (pl) f
• Portuguese: variável (pt) f
• Romanian: variabilă (ro) f, parametru (ro)
• Russian: переме́нная (ru) f (pereménnaja)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: променљива f, промјенљива f

  Roman: promenljiva f, promjenljiva (sh) f

• Slovak: premenná f
• Slovene: spremenljívka (sl) f
• Spanish: variable (es) f
• Swedish: variabel (sv) c
• Tagalog: aligin
• Tajik: мутағайир (mutaġayir)
• Telugu: చరరాశి (cararāśi)
• Thai: ตัวแปร (th) (dtuua-bprɛɛ)
• Turkish: değişken (tr)
• Ukrainian: змі́нна f (zmínna)
• Vietnamese: biên sô (變數)

mathematics: a symbol representing a variable

• Dutch: variabel (nl) m or f, veranderlijk (nl) m or f
• Finnish: muuttuja (fi)
• French: variable (fr) f, paramètre (fr) m
• German: Variable (de) f, Symbol (de) n, Platzhalter (de) m, Variablensymbol n,
• Greek: μεταβλητή (el) f (metavlití)
• Japanese: 変数 (へんすう, hensū)
• Korean: 변수 (ko) (byeonsu)
• Norwegian: variabel m
• Persian: متغیر (fa) (moteğayyer)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: zmienna (pl) f
• Portuguese: variável (pt) f
• Romanian: variabilă (ro)
• Russian: неизве́стная (ru) f (neizvéstnaja), переме́нная (ru) f (pereménnaja)
• Swedish: variabel (sv) c
• Tagalog: aligin
• Thai: ตัวแปร (th) (dtuua-bprɛɛ)
• Turkish: değişken (tr)

computing: a named mutable piece of storage

• Arabic: مُتَغَيِّر m (mutaḡayyir)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 變量／变量 (zh) (biànliàng), 变量 (zh) (biànliàng)

• Czech: proměnná f
• Dutch: variabele (nl) m or f
• Estonian: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: muuttuja (fi)
• French: variable (fr) f
• German: Variable (de) f
• Greek: μεταβλητή (el) (metavlití)
• Hebrew: מִשְׁתַּנֶּה (he) f (mishtané)
• Hindi: चर (hi) (car)
• Japanese: 変数 (へんすう, hensū)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Korean: 변수 (ko) (byeonsu) (變數 (ko))
• Latvian: please add this translation if you can
• Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
• Norwegian: variabel m
• Persian: متغیر (fa) (moteğayyer)
• Polish: zmienna (pl) f
• Portuguese: variável (pt) f
• Russian: переме́нная (ru) f (pereménnaja)
• Swedish: variabel (sv) c
• Thai: ตัวแปร (th) (dtuua-bprɛɛ)
• Turkish: değişken (tr)
• Ukrainian: змі́нна f (zmínna)
• Vietnamese: biên sô (變數)

astronomy: a variable star — see variable star

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Lithuanian: ^{(please verify)} kintamasis (lt) m
• Slovak: ^{(please verify)} premenná f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} variable (es) f

See also

• argument
• variate

Further reading

• “variable”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “variable”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “variable”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

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Asturian

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin variābilis.

Adjective

variable (epicene, plural variables)

1. variable (able to vary)
2. variable (likely to vary)

Noun

variable f (plural variables)

1. (mathematics) variable (a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values)

Related terms

• variación
• variar

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Catalan

Etymology

From Latin variābilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [bə.ɾiˈab.blə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [və.ɾiˈab.blə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [va.ɾiˈa.ble]

Adjective

variable m or f (masculine and feminine plural variables)

1. variable (able to vary)

   Antonym: invariable

2. variable (likely to vary)

   Antonym: invariable

3. (mathematics) variable (having no fixed quantitative value)

Derived terms

• variabilitat

Noun

variable f (plural variables)

1. variable (something that is variable)
2. (mathematics) variable (a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values)

Related terms

• invariable
• variació
• variar

Further reading

• “variable” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “variable”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “variable” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “variable” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

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Danish

Adjective

variable

1. plural and definite singular attributive of variabel

Noun

variable

1. (deprecated template usage) indefinite plural of variabel

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French

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin variabilis.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

variable (plural variables)

1. variable

Noun

variable f (plural variables)

1. variable

Further reading

• “variable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• balivera

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Galician

Alternative forms

• variábel

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin variābilis.

Adjective

variable m or f (plural variables)

1. variable, changeable

Antonyms

• invariable

Noun

variable f (plural variables)

1. variable

Related terms

• variación
• variar

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Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

variable

1. (deprecated template usage) definite singular of variabel
2. plural of variabel

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

variable

1. (deprecated template usage) definite singular of variabel
2. plural of variabel

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Spanish

Adjective

variable m or f (masculine and feminine plural variables)

1. variable

Noun

variable f (plural variables)

1. variable

Derived terms

• variable dependiente
• variable independiente

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Swedish

Adjective

variable

1. (deprecated template usage) definite natural masculine singular of variabel

Anagrams

• variabel