variées

Variées is the feminine plural form of the French adjective varié, meaning varied or diverse. It agrees with feminine plural nouns and is used to describe things that have several different characteristics, elements, or kinds. For example: des opinions variées, des sources variées, des cultures variées. The masculine plural form is variés, the feminine singular is variée, and the masculine singular is varié.

Origin and form: Variées comes from varié, the feminine plural form of the past participle used as an adjective, with its root in the verb varier. The verb varier itself is linked to the idea of change or difference. In modern French, varié functions as an adjective that signals diversity or variety within a set.

Usage and context: Variées is common in formal, academic, journalistic, and everyday prose to indicate a range of different elements. It often accompanies nouns that denote opinions, sources, methods, styles, or examples, as in phrases like "points de vue variés" (note the masculine plural form) and "sources variées." It can also appear in titles or headings to denote a collection of assorted pieces, for example as a section label in a magazine or catalogue.

Related forms: Varié (masculine singular), variée (feminine singular), variés (masculine plural). The term is closely related to the noun variété, which denotes variety or a range of kinds.

See also: variété, variation, diversité.