variegated
adjective
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The Colorful History of Variegated
Variegated has been adding color to our language since the 17th century. It is used in botany to describe the presence of two or more colors in the leaves, petals, or other parts of plants, and it also appears in the names of some animals (such as the variegated cutworm). It can be used by the general speaker to refer to anything marked with different colors ("a variegated silk robe," for instance) or to things that are simply various and diverse ("a variegated collection"). Variegated has a variety of relatives in English—it is ultimately derived from the Latin root varius, meaning "varied," which also gave us vary, various, and variety.
Examples of variegated in a Sentence
Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 3 Mar. 2025
Choose variegated varieties of plants to inject splashes of yellow-green and white as accents.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Feb. 2025
Some are near-alabaster or silvery, others the darkest of greens, and there are variegated choices, striped or mottled in gold or white or silver.
—Margaret Roach, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
For variegated types, that’s actually the preferred way, since rooted cuttings often send up new shoots that are just plain green.
—Margaret Roach, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for variegated
Cite this Entry
“Variegated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/variegated. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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