variation

Universal Words noun 1 [C,U] ~ (in / of sth) a change, especially in the amount or level of sth: The dial records very slight variations in pressure. * Currency exchange rates are always subject to variation. * regional / seasonal variation (= depending on the region or time of year) 2 [C] ~ (on sth) a thing that is different from other things in the same general group: This soup is a spicy variation on a traditional favourite. 3 [C] ~ (on sth) (music) any of a set of short pieces of music based on a simple tune repeated in a different and more complicated form: a set of variations on a theme by Mozart * (figurative) His numerous complaints are all variations on a theme (= all about the same thing).