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

At least three copies of this official state image were made, along with numerous variants — one is in the San Francisco Museum of Fine Arts — a sure sign of its success. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024

Between 2009 and 2024, flu vaccinations were 19 to 60 percent effective in protecting against variants of the virus, CDC data show. —Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024

Both variants of littoral combat ships will be equipped with the MK 70 Payload Delivery System, which is capable of firing four missiles from the containerized launcher vertically, including the 290-mile-range Standard Missile 6 and the 1,000-mile-range Tomahawk missile, Del Toro said. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024

Nonetheless, the set – which features a guest verse from U.S. rap superstar Megan Thee Stallion on its title-track opener — should sell very well, with help from 15 different physical variants of the album across CD and vinyl formats. —Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 11 Dec. 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

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

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