noun a form or version of something that differs in some respect from other forms of the same thing or from a standard
adjective
1. (同種・標準とは)異なった、違った
2. 変わりやすい; 一定ではない
a variant spelling: 異形つづり
ORIGIN
late Middle English (as an adjective in the sense ‘tending to vary’): from Old French, literally ‘varying’, present participle of varier (see vary). The noun dates from the mid 19th century.