variant

[vair-ee-uh nt] /ˈvɛər i ənt/
adjective
1.
tending to change or alter; exhibiting variety or diversity; varying:
variant shades of color.
2.
not agreeing or conforming; differing, especially from something of the same general kind.
3.
not definitive, as a version of part of a text; different; alternative:
a variant reading.
4.
not universally accepted.
noun
5.
a person or thing that varies.
6.
a different spelling, pronunciation, or form of the same word: “Vehemency” is a variant of “vehemence.”.
Origin
1325-75; Middle English < Latin variant-, stem of variāns, present participle of variāre to vary; see -ant
Related forms
nonvariant, adjective, noun
unvariant, adjective
Can be confused
variable, variant.
Examples from the web for variant
  • But far less is known about the variant form of the disease, including how much is an infective dose for humans.
  • We have, of course, come to see the novel as a form with many variant possibilities.
  • Only no one value can reach all of these except infinity or a variable variant.
  • Coesite is a variant of quartz that forms only under intense heat and pressure.
  • Small breeds share a gene variant that limits their growth.
  • Get a look at the first five pages, plus some undressed variant cover art, in the gallery above.
  • Most of these prediction sites use some variant of the following idea.
  • The spelling variant that has gained in usage so much that it has lost its kinkiness is luv.
  • It must have been a variant of the same urban legend.
  • Many university lecturers plump for a variant of the teachers' private-lesson ploy.
British Dictionary definitions for variant

variant

/ˈvɛərɪənt/
adjective
1.
liable to or displaying variation
2.
differing from a standard or type: a variant spelling
3.
(obsolete) not constant; fickle
noun
4.
something that differs from a standard or type
5.
(statistics) another word for variate (sense 1)
Word Origin
C14: via Old French from Latin variāns, from variāre to diversify, from variusvarious
Word Origin and History for variant
adj.

late 14c., from Old French variant, from Latin variantem (nominative varians), present participle of variare "to change" (see vary).

n.

1848, from variant (adj.).

variant in Medicine

variant var·i·ant (vâr'ē-ənt, vār'-)
adj.

  1. Having or exhibiting variation; differing.

  2. Tending or liable to vary; variable.

  3. Deviating from a standard, usually by only a slight difference.

n.
Something that differs in form only slightly from something else.