variably

Variably is an English adverb that means in a variable manner or to varying degrees. It describes processes or results that are not constant and may depend on different conditions, subjects, or contexts. The term is commonly used in scientific, mathematical, and technical writing to indicate that a parameter can take different values across observations or settings. Examples include: "The response varied with temperature," and "The measurements were variably affected by noise."

Etymology and form: Variably is formed from the adjective variable plus the suffix -ly, which turns adjectives into adverbs. The root is Latin variabilis, from vari- “to change.” The word has been part of English since the early modern period and is treated as a standard adverb in formal writing.

Usage notes: In everyday speech, variably is less common than phrases such as varying or to varying degrees. It often appears in technical contexts to denote dependency on another variable or heterogeneity across samples. The term can emphasize that effects are not uniform across conditions. Avoid tautology such as “vary variably” in the same clause; instead, choose a clearer construction like “the response varied with temperature” or “the measurements varied to varying degrees across trials.”

See also: variable, variation, variance, heterogeneity.