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

There’s no specific subtype that teams are looking for. —Nicolas Vega, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024

So a good example is a subtype of lung cancer, which is driven by a mutation in the epidermal growth factor receptor, or EGFR. —quantamagazine.org, 15 Oct. 2024

This kind of bird flu is caused by the H5N1 virus, one of many subtypes of influenza A, the most common type of flu virus known to infect people. —Chris Baraniuk, WIRED, 3 Oct. 2024

Healthcare providers categorize second-degree heart block subtypes—Mobitz type 1 and type 2—based on their physical signs on an electrocardiogram (ECG), which records the electrical activity of the heart using electrodes on the chest. —Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2024

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