Variable
/ˈvɛər.i.ə.bəl/noun
Able or likely to change; in mathematics, a symbol representing a quantity that can vary.
Did you know?It comes from Latin *variabilis*, meaning “changeable,” from *variare* “to make different,” which is also behind words like *variety* and *vary*—all tied to the ancient idea of turning something into a different state.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wer-
“to turn, bend”
Latin
Latin
varus
“bent, knock-kneed, uneven”
Latin
Latin
variare
“to change, alter, diversify”
Latin
Latin
variabilis
“changeable, liable to vary”
Old French
Old French
variable
“changeable, inconstant”
Middle English
English
variable
“liable to change; a changing quantity”