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 …—
B. Bower
B. 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
Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
Security researchers have discovered a new variant of stealer malware that targets browser credentials, cryptocurrency wallets and other personal data.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 15 Jan. 2025
Studies suggest some children with behavioral challenges like ADHD appear to be sensitive to food dyes, and that genetic variants affecting the body’s ability to break down histamine are a likely cause.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
But in 2020, Mustang Panda developed a variant that could infect not only the PC but also USB drives connected to the same machine.
—Michael Kan, PCMAG, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for variant 
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Noun
Vaccines are expected to work well against the XEC and other variants of COVID-19.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
Security researchers have discovered a new variant of stealer malware that targets browser credentials, cryptocurrency wallets and other personal data.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 15 Jan. 2025
Studies suggest some children with behavioral challenges like ADHD appear to be sensitive to food dyes, and that genetic variants affecting the body’s ability to break down histamine are a likely cause.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
But in 2020, Mustang Panda developed a variant that could infect not only the PC but also USB drives connected to the same machine.
—Michael Kan, PCMAG, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for variant
Dictionary Entries Near variant
Cite this Entry
“Variant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/variant. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.
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?
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