variant

1 of 2

adjective

var·​i·​ant ˈver-ē-ənt 

1

: manifesting variety, deviation, or disagreement

variant interpretations/opinions

2

: varying usually slightly from a usual or standard form

variant readings

variant spellings

variant forms of a disease

a variant bacterial strain

3

obsolete : variable

variant

2 of 2

noun

plural variants

: one of two or more persons or things of the same kind that differ in some way from one another: such as

a

: someone or something that exhibits variation from a type or norm

Scientists now find that a variant of a specific gene may contribute to the disorder …

—B. Bower

Ambient music, as it is sometimes called, was originally a variant of techno music without the beats.

—Neil Strauss

We played all kinds of weird and wacky poker variants, many involving wild cards …

—Anthony Holden

b

: one of two or more different spellings (such as labor and labour) or pronunciations (as of economics \ek-, ēk-\) of the same word

c

: one of two or more words (such as geographic and geographical) or word elements (such as mon- and mono-) of essentially the same meaning differing only in the presence or absence of an affix

Examples of variant in a Sentence

Adjective

variant strains of a disease

Noun

A new variant of the disease has appeared.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The final appearance of a Delta rocket 63 years after the first variant's maiden flight was an emotional milestone for the managers, engineers and technicians who assembled and launched the last member of the family. —William Harwood, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2024

Carb Blockers Prescription variants of these medications are not intended for use as weight-loss aids; rather, their purpose is to hinder the absorption of starches as a means of treating diabetes. —Robert James and, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2024

The variant is named after the 300 SLR that Stirling Moss drove to victory at the Mille Miglia in 1955 and features a slew of performance upgrades. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024

In the alert, the CDC said that a variant of the bacteria that causes the illness has reported 140 cases this year so far. —Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024

The fear is that this imprinting then undermines efforts to protect an individual against evolved versions of that pathogen — that a vaccine targeting the latest variant of SARS-2 will preferentially boost antibodies to the original version of the virus, which is now long gone. —Helen Branswell, STAT, 28 Mar. 2024

Oberon Sunshine will come in three variants: Cherry Limeade Shandy, Lemonade Shandy and Tropical Shandy, to be released in 12-packs later this summer. —Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press, 25 Mar. 2024

The tracks were previously included on different variants of the Guts vinyl record. —Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024

Each variant comes with a single-motor powertrain that will produce 299 hp and 295 ft lbs of torque in the standard and Pro and 673 hp and 618 ft lbs of torque in the Max. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English variaunt, borrowed from Anglo-French variant, borrowed from Latin variant-, varians "variegated, various," from present participle of variāre "to make changeable, vary"

Noun

noun derivative of variant entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined at sense b

Phrases Containing variant

• new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• omicron variant
• variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• delta variant

Kids Definition

variant

1 of 2 adjective

vari·​ant

ˈver-ē-ənt,

ˈvar-

: differing from others of its kind or class

variant

2 of 2 noun

1

: an individual that shows variation from a type or norm

2

: one of two or more different spellings or pronunciations of the same word

Medical Definition

variant

1 of 2 adjective

var·​i·​ant ˈver-ē-ənt, ˈvar- 

: manifesting variety or deviation : varying usually slightly from a usual or standard form

variant forms of the disease

mutations resulting in a variant strain of the bacteria

variant

2 of 2 noun

: one that exhibits variation from a type, norm, or wild type : mutation

a less contagious variant of the virus

To date, nearly 60 genes have been evaluated to determine whether specific genetic variants may be associated with IBS [=irritable bowel syndrome].

—Yuri A. Saito, Gastroenterology Clinics of North America