different between varietal vs variety

English

Etymology

variety +? -al

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /v???a??t?l/

Adjective

varietal (not comparable)

1. (biology) Pertaining to a distinct variety of organism.
2. Made from a single specific variety (especially of grapes in wine).
3. (linguistics) Of or relating to a variety of a language.

Noun

varietal (plural varietals)

1. A wine made primarily from or exclusively from a single variety of grape, which carries the name of that grape.

   The varietal Merlot has rich red color and a robust fruity taste. Cabernet Sauvignon is a varietal that descended from Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

2. (by extension) A coffee made primarily from or exclusively from a single variety of coffee bean.

Portuguese

Adjective

varietal m or f (plural varietais, comparable)

1. varietal

Spanish

Noun

varietal m (plural varietales)

1. varietal

Adjective

varietal (plural varietales)

1. varietal

English

Alternative forms

• variëty (rare)

Etymology

From Middle French varieté, from Latin variet?s (“difference, diversity”), from varius (“different, various”); see various. Displaced native Old English misl?cnes.

Pronunciation

• enPR: v?-r???-t?, IPA^(key): /v???a?.?.ti/
• Rhymes: -a??ti
• Hyphenation: va?ri?e?ty

Noun

variety (countable and uncountable, plural varieties)

1. The quality of being varied; diversity.

   Antonym: sameness

2. A specific variation of something.
3. A number of different things.

   Synonyms: array, assortment

4. A state of constant change.
5. (taxonomy) A rank in a taxonomic classification, below species (infraspecific), either below subspecies (subspecific) or ranked comparably therewith.
6. (cybernetics) The total number of distinct states of a system.
7. (cybernetics) Logarithm of the base 2 of the total number of distinct states of a system.
8. (linguistics) A term used for a specific form of a language, neutral to whether that form is a dialect, accent, register, etc. and to its prestige level.
9. (algebra, universal algebra) An equational class; the class of all algebraic structures of a given signature, satisfying a given set of identities.
10. (algebraic geometry) An algebraic variety.
11. The kind of theatrical entertainment given in variety shows.
12. The production of, or performance in, variety shows.

Synonyms

• (quality of being varied): See also Thesaurus:nonuniformity
• (algebraic geometry): algebraic variety
• (universal algebra): equational class, equational variety, variety of algebras

Hyponyms

• (specific variation of something): cultivar

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

• species
• (cybernetics: logarithm): information entropy

Further reading

• variety in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• variety in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.