variable
/ˈveə.ri.ə.bəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈver.i.ə.bəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈver-ē-ə-bəl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈveəriəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈveriəbl/ (ame, ipa)
variable — adjective
- variablepositive
- more variablecomparative
- most variablesuperlative
1. Something that is variable changes often and is not steady or predictable.
Something that is variable changes often and is not steady or predictable.
The weather in this region is highly variable, with sunshine one minute and rain the next.
be + variable: describing changeable conditions
Brandon found the variable quality of the cell signal frustrating during his road trip.
Variable winds made the sailing competition more difficult than the crew had expected.
Aylin prefers a fixed salary because the income from freelance work is too variable.
- changeable
more general, used for moods as well as conditions
- unstable
stronger negative connotation; suggests something is unreliable or unsafe
- fluctuating
formal; describes repeated up-and-down movement, especially in prices or numbers
用法筆記
Commonly describes natural conditions (weather, temperature, wind), quality, or income. Frequently used with adverbs such as 'highly', 'extremely', or 'very'.
常見錯誤
2. Made up of many different types or elements that vary from one another.
Made up of many different types or elements that vary from one another.
The city's variable population includes immigrants from over fifty different countries.
variable + [noun]: made up of diverse parts
Joaquín enjoys the variable terrain of the national park, from flat meadows to rocky cliffs.
The museum collection is wonderfully variable, spanning ancient pottery to modern digital art.
A class with students from many backgrounds tends to have more variable opinions during discussions.
- uniform
all the same; lacking variety
用法筆記
This sense emphasises variety or richness of different elements rather than unpredictability or instability. Common in descriptions of collections, populations, landscapes, or artistic works.
variable — noun
- variablesingular
- variablesplural
1. A factor, number, amount, or condition that can change and may affect the result
A factor, number, amount, or condition that can change and may affect the result of something.
When planning the budget, we must consider every variable that could affect the final cost.
consider every variable: common collocation
The number of guests is the biggest variable in calculating how much food to order.
Yan kept the temperature constant while changing only one variable at a time during the experiment.
Customer demand is a key variable that the sales team tries to predict every quarter.
Élise realised that the time of day was an important variable in the test results.
- constant
a value or condition that stays the same
用法筆記
Very common in business, science, and daily planning contexts. Often paired with 'control', 'consider', 'identify', or 'key'.
常見錯誤
2. A letter or symbol, such as x or y, used in mathematics or computing to represen
A letter or symbol, such as x or y, used in mathematics or computing to represent a value that can change or that you do not know yet.
In the equation y = 3x + 2, the letter y is called the dependent variable.
algebraic use: [symbol] = the variable
Apinya used the variable n to represent the unknown number of students in each group.
When writing computer code, you must declare each variable before you can store data in it.
Sumin assigned the variable p to stand for the price of a single ticket.
- symbol
broader; can be any mark that stands for something
- placeholder
less formal; describes the function of waiting for a value
用法筆記
Primarily used in mathematics, statistics, and computer programming. Distinguish from the general sense (CHANGEABLE FACTOR): this sense specifically refers to the written symbol itself, not the real-world quantity.