an event that departs from expectations
"The sudden power outage was just a variant in an otherwise smooth presentation, leaving the audience confused about the next step."
a variable quantity that is random
"The daily rainfall acts as a variant in our weather model, changing randomly from day to day."
Something that is slightly different from a type or norm.
"The new software update introduced a minor variant of the previous bug that affects only older devices."
In plain English: A variant is an alternative version of something that differs slightly from the original form.
"The new software update offers a few different variants to suit various user needs."
Showing variety, diverse.
"The museum's new exhibit showcases a wide array of artistic variants from different cultures around the world."
Usage: Use the adjective form to describe something composed of many different types rather than being uniform. This term often appears in contexts like variant data sets or variant populations where diversity within a group is key.
The word entered English around 1380 from the Old French variant, which came from the Latin variāns. This Latin term is a form of variō, meaning "to change."