Variousness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state of containing many different kinds or types within a group
2. A condition characterized by diversity or a range of different elements or aspects
3. The presence of multiple distinct features or forms within a single collection or group

Etymology: "Various" arrived in English from Old French "various," which came from Latin "varius," meaning "changing," "diverse," or "spotted." The original sense was closer to shifting or variegated, something that does not stay one way, and only later settled into the plain idea of assorted kinds. The Latin root is also behind "variety" and "vary." "Variousness" is built by adding the suffix "-ness" to "various." The suffix traces back through Old English "-nes" to ancient Germanic roots, and it has been a productive way to turn adjectives into nouns of quality or state since Old English. Adding it to "various" yields a noun for the condition of being varied in kind, a formation that English speakers could make on the spot without any dictionary intervention.

Synonyms: diversity, variability, multiplicity

Antonyms: uniformity, sameness