VARIANT

Variant is a term used to describe something that differs from another form of the same thing; it denotes a version or form that deviates from a standard. The word comes from Latin varians, vari-, meaning changing or diverse, and entered English via French.

In biology and genetics, a genetic variant is a difference in the DNA sequence among individuals, populations, or species. Variants include single nucleotide variants (SNVs), insertions and deletions, copy-number variants, and larger structural changes. Variants may be inherited or arise de novo. Most variants are neutral or of unknown effect; a subset influences traits or disease risk. A common distinction is between polymorphisms (variants with appreciable frequency in a population) and rare mutations.

In medicine and virology, the term is used for distinct forms of pathogens or strains, such as viral variants, which may differ in transmissibility, virulence, or immune escape. Classification often uses lineages; some variants are designated variants of concern or variants of interest by health authorities.

In computing, variant refers to a data type or object that can hold values of different types, or to a version of a software product. In linguistics, a variant is an alternate form or pronunciation of a word or phrase. In everyday use, producers may release product variants to indicate different features, colors, or specifications from a base model.