Variation vs. Variability — What's the Difference?

A change or slight difference in condition, amount, or level, typically within certain limits

Lack of consistency or fixed pattern; liability to vary or change

A different or distinct form or version of something

The quality, state, or degree of being variable or changeable.

The act, fact, or process of varying.

The state or characteristic of being variable.

The extent or degree to which something varies

The degree to which a thing is variable. In data or statistics this is often a measurement of distance from the mean or a description of data range.

Something different from another of the same type

The quality or state of being variable; variableness.

Magnetic declination.

The power possessed by living organisms, both animal and vegetable, of adapting themselves to modifications or changes in their environment, thus possibly giving rise to ultimate variation of structure or function.

(Biology) The existence within a species or other group of organisms of differences in form, function, or behavior, especially when hereditary.

The quality of being subject to variation

(Mathematics) A function that relates the values of one variable to those of other variables.

A quality of variability and lack of uniformity

A form that is an altered version of a given theme, diverging from it by melodic ornamentation and by changes in harmony, rhythm, or key.

One of a series of forms based on a single theme.

A solo dance, especially one forming part of a larger work.

The act of varying; a partial change in the form, position, state, or qualities of a thing.

A related but distinct thing.

(nautical) The angular difference at the vessel between the direction of true north and magnetic north.

(board games) A line of play that differs from the original.

(music) A technique where material is repeated with alterations to the melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, texture, counterpoint or orchestration; but with some invariant characteristic, e.g. a ground bass.

(genetics) The modification of a hereditary trait.

(astronomy) Deviation from the mean orbit of a heavenly body.

The act of varying; a partial change in the form, position, state, or qualities of a thing; modification; alteration; mutation; diversity; deviation; as, a variation of color in different lights; a variation in size; variation of language.

Extent to which a thing varies; amount of departure from a position or state; amount or rate of change.

Change of termination of words, as in declension, conjugation, derivation, etc.

Repetition of a theme or melody with fanciful embellishments or modifications, in time, tune, or harmony, or sometimes change of key; the presentation of a musical thought in new and varied aspects, yet so that the essential features of the original shall still preserve their identity.

One of the different arrangements which can be made of any number of quantities taking a certain number of them together.

An instance of change; the rate or magnitude of change

An activity that varies from a norm or standard;

A repetition of a musical theme in which it is modified or embellished

Something a little different from others of the same type;

An artifact that deviates from a norm or standard;

The angle (at a particular location) between magnetic north and true north

(astronomy) any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite (especially a perturbation of the earth's moon)

(biology) an organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration

(ballet) a solo dance or dance figure

The act of changing or altering something slightly but noticeably from the norm or standard;