1. (n.) A partial change in the form, position, state; as, a variation of color in different lights\; a variation in size; variation of language.

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

3. (n.) Change of termination of words, as in declension, conjugation, derivation, etc.

4. (n.) 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.

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

Nachtmusik Proteus aberrancy aberration about-face absolute music accommodation adaptation adjustment air varie aleatory aleatory music allotropism allotropy alteration altering alternation amelioration anacrusis analysis anatomization apostasy arrangement atomization bass passage bend betterment bias bourdon branching off break bridge burden cadence capriciousness chamber music chamber orchestra change change of heart change of pace changeability changeableness changing choice choppiness chorus circuitousness coda composition constructive change continuity contrariety contrast conversion corner crook curve dappleness declination defection deflection degeneration degenerative change demarcation departure descant desultoriness desynonymization deterioration detour development deviability deviance deviancy deviation deviousness difference differencing differentiation differing digression disaccord disaccordance disagreement disconformity discongruity discontinuity discordance discrepancy discreteness discrimination discursion disequalization disjunction disorder disparity dissent dissimilarity dissonance distinction distinctness distinguishment divagation divarication divergence divergency diversification diversion diversity division dogleg double drift drifting eccentricity electronic music errantry erraticism etude excursion excursus exercise exorbitation exposition far cry fickleness figure fitting flightiness flip-flop fluctuation folderol freakishness gradual change hairpin harmonic close harmonization her infinite variety heterogeneity heteromorphism improvement impulsiveness inaccordance incidental music incompatibility incongruity inconsistency inconsonance inconstancy indirection individualization individuation inequality inharmoniousness inharmony instability instrumental music interlude intermezzo introductory phrase invention irreconcilability irregularity jerkiness manifoldness measure melioration mercuriality mitigation mixture modification modifying modulation moodiness motleyness movement multifariousness multiplicity musical phrase musical sentence mutability mutation nocturne nonconformism nonconformity nonstandardization nonuniformity novelty obliquity odds omnifariousness omniformity opposition opus orchestration ornament oscillation otherness overthrow part particularization passage pendulation pererration period permutation personalization phrase piece pluralism polymorphism production program music qualification radical change raggedness rambling re-creation realignment redesign reform reformation refrain remaking renewal reshaping resolution response restlessness restructuring reversal revival revivification revolution ricercar ritornello score section seesawing segregation separateness separation severalization severance shapeshifter sheer shift shiftiness shifting shifting course shifting path shuffling skew slant