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

The effect was particularly strong in patients with the diarrhea-predominant subtype of IBS (IBS-D), who were six times more likely to respond to the diet. —New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2024

Black women with obesity are also at a significantly higher risk for early-onset breast cancer and are more likely to be diagnosed with two aggressive molecular subtypes: luminal A and triple-negative breast cancer. —Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 23 Oct. 2024

Both can play a role in increasing a woman’s risk for hormone-sensitive subtypes of breast cancer, which usually grow more slowly and are easier to treat. —Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 19 Oct. 2024

The virus itself, especially the HPV 16 and HPV 18 subtypes, can lead to the development of anal cancer. —Qin Rao, Verywell Health, 18 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