Variable

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin variabilis, from variare to vary

• Date: 14th century

Definitions

• 1 a : able or apt to vary : subject to variation or changes <variable winds> <variable costs>

b : fickle, inconstant

• 2 : characterized by variations
• 3 : having the characteristics of a variable
• 4 : not true to type : aberrant —used of a biological group or character

Description

A variable (pronounced /ˈvɛəriəbəl/; VAIR-ee-ə-bəl) is a symbol that stands for a value that may vary; the term usually occurs in opposition to constant, which is a symbol for a non-varying value, i.e. completely fixed or fixed in the context of use. The concepts of constants and variables are fundamental to all modern mathematics, science, engineering, and computer programming.[1]