variant

1 of 2

adjective

var·​i·​ant ˈver-ē-ənt How to pronounce variant (audio)
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
Taylor Swift announced the fourth and final variant of her upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, during her second Eras Tour concert in Singapore on Sunday (March 3). Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 3 Mar. 2024 The researchers homed in on variants of five genes that were strongly correlated with extreme longevity. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 This is especially true of the range-topping Plaid variant, which has a tri-motor powertrain that produces 1,020 horses. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024 Aston Martin limited the model to 150 coupes, 85 open-top Spider versions and 40 of the track-only AMR Pro variant. Siddharth Philip, Fortune Europe, 23 Feb. 2024 What to know February 08, 2024 5:55 PM Read Next Coronavirus ‘Persistent’ COVID infections may be creating new variants, study says. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024 For Anansi, the first issue will have a main cover illustrated by David Mack and two variants by Martinbrough and Denys Cowan, respectively. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024 The malicious ransomware variant has been deployed by criminal hackers to extort tens of millions of dollars from victims around the world — ranging from global banks to local schools. Leo Sands, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024 Some variants include the soldier and starfish positions. Brianna Kamienski, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'variant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of variant was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near variant

Cite this Entry

“Variant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/variant. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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- How to pronounce variant (audio)
: 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
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