variability
variability — noun
1. the degree to which something is likely to change or differ across different sit
the degree to which something is likely to change or differ across different situations or over time
Scientists at the weather station recorded high variability in temperatures across the region last winter.
collocation: high variability / low variability
The variability of oil prices made it hard for Otis to plan his company's yearly budget.
variability + of + [cause] — causal pattern
There is a great deal of variability in test scores among students from different schools.
The nurse monitored the variability in the patient's heart rate over a full day.
- changeability
less formal, more common in everyday speech
- fluctuation
narrower — refers specifically to repeated up-and-down movement, not general tendency to differ
- volatility
stronger connotation of sudden, large, and risky change; often used for prices or emotions
- inconsistency
negative connotation — suggests unreliability or lack of dependability
- consistency
opposite meaning — lack of change or variation
- stability
suggests a steady, unchanging state
- uniformity
emphasises sameness across different instances rather than over time
文法句型
variability + of + noun phrase
variability + in + noun phrase
用法筆記
Uncountable noun — does not take a plural form. Most common in academic and scientific writing, typically paired with 'of' to indicate what changes and 'in' to specify the context.