var·i·ant
ˈver-ē-ənt 
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 …—
Bruce Bower
Bruce BowerAmbient music, as it is sometimes called, was originally a variant of techno music without the beats.—Neil Strauss
Neil StraussWe played all kinds of weird and wacky poker variants, many involving wild cards …—Anthony Holden
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
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Jan. 2026
The exclusive variant looks almost identical to the base version, aside from a Black Optic trim package, but features a more powerful V-8 that pumps out 467 hp.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 6 Jan. 2026
There will be several cover variants from underground artist Travis Knight.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
The surging flu activity across the US is being driven largely by a new variant, dubbed the super flu.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for variant
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Noun
Verge Motorcycles becomes the first production vehicle manufacturer to deploy solid-state batteries, with charging times under 10 minutes and a long-range variant offering up to 600 kilometers per charge.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Jan. 2026
The exclusive variant looks almost identical to the base version, aside from a Black Optic trim package, but features a more powerful V-8 that pumps out 467 hp.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 6 Jan. 2026
There will be several cover variants from underground artist Travis Knight.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
The surging flu activity across the US is being driven largely by a new variant, dubbed the super flu.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for variant
Cite this Entry
“Variant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/variant. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical 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
Yuri A. Saito, Gastroenterology Clinics of North AmericaLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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