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

Predicting which strains and subtypes will actually be circulating can be challenging, and minor mutations can occur within the flu A and flu B strains that can make a vaccine less effective. —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 7 Feb. 2025

Wastewater monitoring is a tool used to detect genetic material from microbes, like influenza A and its subtypes, in untreated wastewater, helping inform public health and partners on changing disease activity. —Karen Bartunek, The Arizona Republic, 30 Dec. 2024

This is the warning of a new paper in the journal Science Advances, which concluded that vaccinating against the highly pathogenic H5 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV) may drive viral evolution. —Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025

The analysis showed that the nasal swabs could accurately diagnose several asthma subtypes. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined above

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