variant
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a version of something that is slightly different from the main or standard type.
n.a form or version of something that differs in some respect from other forms of the same thing or from a standard.
Simple“Scientists are studying a new variant of the virus to see if it spreads faster.”
In context“The researchers identified several genetic variants that appear to influence how the body processes certain types of medication.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.a different way of spelling or saying a word that has the same meaning.
n.one of two or more different forms of a word or other linguistic item.
Simple“The word 'colour' is the British variant of the American 'color'.”
In context“The dictionary lists several regional variants for the term, reflecting the diverse dialectal history of the northern provinces.”
UsageOften used with 'of' to indicate the relationship to the standard form.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a type of data in a computer program that can hold different kinds of information.
n.a data type in certain programming languages that can represent and store values of various, unrelated types.
Simple“The programmer used a variant to store the user's input because it could be a number or a string.”
In context“Using a variant type provides flexibility in dynamic languages, though it can lead to performance overhead compared to strictly typed variables.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
adj.different from others or showing variety.
adj.exhibiting variation or difference; differing from a standard or from other members of a group.
Simple“The two groups had variant opinions on how to solve the problem.”
In context“The manuscript exists in several variant forms, making it difficult for historians to determine which version is the most authentic.”
Usage different variant
“If we had an AI model for the entire gene expression code, we would be able to predict the activity of each of the different variants of genes in different people.”
“Useful variants could then become more common as they were passed from one generation to the next.”
Recorded since c.1380, from Old French variant, from Latin variāns, the present active participle of variō (“to change”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.