Variously

How to spell variously

9 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce variously

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does variously mean?

1. adverbIn several different ways, or as described differently by different people or sources.

Variously in a sentence

• The report has been variously described as bold and reckless.

• His job title was variously listed as manager, director, and supervisor.

Where does variously come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin adjective varius, which meant 'diverse', 'changeable', or even 'mottled' and 'speckled', describing surfaces marked with different colours. From varius English took the adjective 'various', borrowed in the late 1400s by way of late Middle English, and then added the native adverb-forming ending '-ly' to make 'variously', meaning 'in various ways' or 'differently by different people or at different times'. The same Latin root also gives us the everyday words 'vary', 'variety', and 'variation', all carrying the central idea of difference and change. The spelling trap sits in the unstressed middle: the '-ious' sequence is sounded as a quick schwa, so writers must remember the 'i' before the 'ous' and the silent smoothness of 'iously'. Keeping the parent word 'various' in mind makes the spelling of 'variously' far easier to reconstruct.

How the word is built

• vari- (from Latin varius: diverse, changeable)
• -ous (adjective suffix: full of)
• -ly (adverb suffix)