variant

[ vair-ee-uh nt ]
/ ˈvɛər i ənt /

adjective

tending to change or alter; exhibiting variety or diversity; varying: variant shades of color.
not agreeing or conforming; differing, especially from something of the same general kind.
not definitive, as a version of part of a text; different; alternative: a variant reading.
not universally accepted.

noun

a person or thing that varies.
a different spelling, pronunciation, or form of the same word: “Vehemency” is a variant of “vehemence.”

Origin of variant

1325–75; Middle English < Latin variant-, stem of variāns, present participle of variāre to vary; see -ant

OTHER WORDS FROM variant

non·var·i·ant, adjective, noun un·var·i·ant, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH variant

variable variant

Example sentences from the Web for variant

British Dictionary definitions for variant

variant
/ (ˈvɛərɪənt) /

adjective

liable to or displaying variation
differing from a standard or type a variant spelling
obsolete not constant; fickle

noun

something that differs from a standard or type
statistics another word for variate (def. 1)

Word Origin for variant

C14: via Old French from Latin variāns, from variāre to diversify, from varius various

Medical definitions for variant

variant
[ vârē-ənt, văr- ]

adj.

Having or exhibiting variation; differing.
Tending or liable to vary; variable.
Deviating from a standard, usually by only a slight difference.

n.

Something that differs in form only slightly from something else.