MEANING
1. A form of something that differs from other forms of the same general kind.
2. Different from the usual form or from an accepted standard.
Use it for
comparing alternative versions of a model; distinguishing a changed form from a wholly separate category; identifying differences among versions of a textIdentifies an alternative form of something rather than treating every difference as a separate kind. Academic functions: Comparison / Contrast.
Words that belong together
- a variant of a model
- a textual variant
- a genetic variant
On the page
The article compares a variant of the model with the original specification.
A textual variant may reflect a copying choice rather than a different authorial intention.
The edition reports variant readings rather than silently treating one version as the only possible text.
A variant spelling can be legitimate even when it differs from the preferred editorial convention.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- variant
Usage notes
Countable noun: variant, variants. Also an adjective, usually before a noun. Adjective comparisons are uncommon; use differing forms when degree is not meaningful. Register: neutral. Commonness: moderately common (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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