variants
or less commonly sub-type
plural subtypes also sub-types
: a type that is a subdivision of a broader type
… the … vaccine has a new, additional molecular component that its developers believe will contribute to a broader range of protection against subtypes of HIV found in North America, Europe, Australia, Central America, and South America.—
The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association… the neurotransmitter serotonin has at least 14 different known subtypes of receptors.—Steven F. Hyman
Steven F. HymanAmong subtypes of juggling found in circus shows are juggling on horseback and strong-man juggling with iron balls.—Mark Levine
Mark LevineExamples of subtype in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One concern of seeing a human infection caused by a new subtype of virus is that the H5N1 bird flu virus may have exchanged genes with other influenza viruses circulating in animals.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 24 Nov. 2025
There are several subtypes of AML that are important in determining a person's prognosis, according to the ACS.
—Kate Reilly, NBC news, 22 Nov. 2025
Lowers Colorectal Cancer Risk Studies have found that fiber may offer some protection against certain subtypes of colorectal cancer (CRC).
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 14 Nov. 2025
This lack of data is partly because most breast cancer trials have not historically distinguished between lobular and ductal subtypes, as Roy explained.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtype
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Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 24 Nov. 2025
There are several subtypes of AML that are important in determining a person's prognosis, according to the ACS.
—Kate Reilly, NBC news, 22 Nov. 2025
Lowers Colorectal Cancer Risk Studies have found that fiber may offer some protection against certain subtypes of colorectal cancer (CRC).
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 14 Nov. 2025
This lack of data is partly because most breast cancer trials have not historically distinguished between lobular and ductal subtypes, as Roy explained.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtype
Cite this Entry
“Subtype.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtype. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
subtype
1 of 2 noun
sub·type
ˈsəb-ˌtīp 
: a type that is subordinate to or included in another type
the blood group subtypes
subtypes of a disease
subtype
2 of 2 transitive verb
subtyped; subtyping
: to classify according to subtype
schizophrenic patients subtyped as paranoid or catatonic
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