a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
"a great assortment of cars was on display"
"he had a variety of disorders"
"a veritable smorgasbord of religions"
noticeable heterogeneity
"a diversity of possibilities"
"the range and variety of his work is amazing"
(biology) a taxonomic category consisting of members of a species that differ from others of the same species in minor but heritable characteristics
"varieties are frequently recognized in botany"
a show consisting of a series of short unrelated performances
"The comedy club was packed because their variety show featured everything from acrobatics to magic tricks and live music in rapid succession."
The quality of being varied; diversity.
"The restaurant's menu offers a wide variety of cuisines from around the world."
In plain English: Variety means having many different kinds of things instead of just one type.
"The grocery store offers a wide variety of fruits and vegetables from local farmers."
Usage: Use variety to describe an assortment or range of different items within a single category, such as the variety of fruits at the market. It is often paired with words like great or wide to emphasize significant diversity in selection.
The word "variety" entered Middle French as varieté before arriving in English either directly from the Latin varietās, meaning difference or diversity, or through a combination of the adjective "various" and the suffix "-ty." Its original sense of variety has remained consistent throughout its history.