varié

Varié is a French adjective meaning diversified or varied. It describes something composed of different parts, kinds, or qualities. It also serves as the past participle of the verb varier, used in compound tenses such as passé composé with the auxiliary avoir: les prix ont varié. When used as an adjective, varié agrees in gender and number: varié, variée, variés, variées.

Etymology: The word derives from the verb varier, which ultimately comes from Latin variāre and a root related to varius, meaning diverse or changing. Over time, varié acquired a stable adjectival form in modern French to indicate variety or heterogeneity.

Usage: Varié is common in describing foods, landscapes, opinions, or collections. Examples: Le paysage est varié. Des goûts variés. Des résultats variés. Un assortiment varié et coloré. Note that the past participle varié is used when the sense is “to have varied” in compound tenses, while as an adjective it conveys variety without action.

Related terms: variété (variety), variabilité (variability), and variable (changing, or a variable in grammar and mathematics). Varié sits near these words in meaning, often used to express diversity or heterogeneity in a concise way.