subtype

noun

sub·​type ˈsəb-ˌtīp 

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 neurotransmitter serotonin has at least 14 different known subtypes of receptors.

—Steven F. Hyman

Among subtypes of juggling found in circus shows are juggling on horseback and strong-man juggling with iron balls.

—Mark Levine

Examples of subtype in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Long COVID potentially has many subtypes with different biological pathways and responses to different treatments, researchers said. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2025

Invasive fungal sinusitis can progress quickly or slowly, depending on the subtype. —Laura Schober, Health, 14 Apr. 2025

The average person can experience anywhere between four and nine of these reaction subtypes all at once. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025

And the article discusses how shifts in mammoth population in different parts of the world might have resulted in a variety of mammoth genomic subtypes. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subtype

• bagpipe
• blowpipe
• standpipe
• stovepipe
• tailpipe
• unripe
• windpipe
• allotype
• antitype
• archetype
• biotype
• collotype

Medical 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