# SNP

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/snp
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. Scottish National Party

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

Stands for Scottish National Party. This is a political group that wants Scotland to be an independent country.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Scottish National Party. A centre-left political party in Scotland that campaigns for independence from the United Kingdom.

- The SNP won many seats in the last election in Scotland.
- The SNP has consistently campaigned for a second referendum on independence, arguing that political conditions have shifted since the 2014 vote.

Usage: Usually used with 'the' as in 'the SNP'.

Teaching tip: Learners should be aware that this is a major political term in the UK, specifically regarding Scottish governance.

### 2. DNA variation

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

Stands for single-nucleotide polymorphism. It is a small difference in a person's DNA that can affect health or traits.

For teachers: Abbreviation for single-nucleotide polymorphism. A variation in a single base pair in a DNA sequence among individuals of a species.

- Scientists study an SNP to see if it makes a person more likely to get a disease.
- Researchers identified a specific SNP that appears to correlate with a higher resistance to certain types of viral infections.

Usage: Often pronounced as 'snip'.

Teaching tip: This is a highly specialised term used in genetics and medicine; outside of those fields, the political party is the much more common referent.

## Examples

- The test found a SNP linked to eye color.
- Researchers tracked the SNP to understand why some patients reacted poorly to the drug.
- Genome-wide association studies rely on mapping thousands of SNPs to identify genetic markers for complex diseases like diabetes.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.