variant
part of speech
noun (a variant, variants); adjective (variant — formal)
meaning for a pupil
1) A slightly different form or version of something, such as a different spelling of a word or a different version of a game. tree →
2) A new form of a virus or other living thing whose genes have changed a little, for example a Covid variant. tree →
3) (adjective, formal) Different from the usual form. tree →
sense in the lessons
In spelling lessons a variant is another accepted way to write a word: "color" is the US variant of "colour". In games and puzzles a variant changes one rule. In science and the news, a variant is a changed form of a germ, which might spread faster. In maths, people may speak of a variant of a problem: the same problem with small changes. Phrases: "a variant of", "a new variant", "spelling variant".
examples
- "Grey" and "gray" are variants of the same word. tree →
- We played a variant of tag where you freeze when caught. tree →
- Scientists are watching a new variant of the flu virus. tree →
- This puzzle is a variant of the one we did yesterday, with bigger numbers. tree →
- Chess has many variants, and some use a round board. tree →
- The shop sells three variants of the toy car in different colours. tree →
- The new variant spread quickly through the town. tree →
note
Countable noun: a variant, two variants. A variant is not a completely different thing; it is the same thing changed a little. "Variant" and "variety" are related but not the same: a variety is a kind or a mix of many kinds. The verb "vary" means change; "variable" in maths is a letter that stands for a number that can change.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «variant» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.