variety show

noun

: a theatrical entertainment of successive separate performances (as of songs, dances, skits, and acrobatic feats)

Examples of variety show in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Over the years, Parton’s appearances on variety shows, specials, TV films and series tracked her evolution from simple country singer to full-service pop star. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Oprah Winfrey reveals one of her fondest memories of Dolly Parton was in 1987, when Winfrey appeared on the variety show Dolly. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Aug. 2026 Dolly Parton’s Early Career Parton was musical as a child, and, encouraged by an uncle who bought her a guitar, began performing by age 10 on a television variety show in Knoxville, followed by her Grand Ole Opry debut three years later, in 1959. — Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Country singer Dolly Parton and her collaborator Porter Wagoner perform onstage in 1967 on Porter Wagoner's variety show. — Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for variety show

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of variety show was in 1882

Rhymes for variety show

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Browse Nearby Words

variety meat
variety show
variety store
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Cite this Entry

“Variety show.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/variety%20show. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

variety show

noun
: entertainment made up of separate performances (as dances and songs) that follow one another

More from Merriam-Webster on variety show

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about variety show

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