variants
or less commonly sub-type
plural subtypes also sub-types
: a type that is a subdivision of a broader type
… the … vaccine has a new, additional molecular component that its developers believe will contribute to a broader range of protection against subtypes of HIV found in North America, Europe, Australia, Central America, and South America.—
The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association… the neurotransmitter serotonin has at least 14 different known subtypes of receptors.—Steven F. Hyman
Steven F. HymanAmong subtypes of juggling found in circus shows are juggling on horseback and strong-man juggling with iron balls.—Mark Levine
Mark LevineExamples of subtype in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This lack of data is partly because most breast cancer trials have not historically distinguished between lobular and ductal subtypes, as Roy explained.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Its focus is a commitment to treating Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC), a common subtype of breast cancer that accounts for 15% of cases but receives just 1% of dedicated research funding, according to a news release.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Tambyah says scientists are closely watching the evolution of H5 and H7 or H9, subtypes of influenza A virus, in birds and animals.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
That picture began to change in the early 2000s, as researchers uncovered the biological underpinnings of different breast cancer subtypes.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtype
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Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Its focus is a commitment to treating Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC), a common subtype of breast cancer that accounts for 15% of cases but receives just 1% of dedicated research funding, according to a news release.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Tambyah says scientists are closely watching the evolution of H5 and H7 or H9, subtypes of influenza A virus, in birds and animals.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
That picture began to change in the early 2000s, as researchers uncovered the biological underpinnings of different breast cancer subtypes.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtype
Cite this Entry
“Subtype.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtype. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
subtype
1 of 2 noun
sub·type
ˈsəb-ˌtīp 
: a type that is subordinate to or included in another type
the blood group subtypes
subtypes of a disease
subtype
2 of 2 transitive verb
subtyped; subtyping
: to classify according to subtype
schizophrenic patients subtyped as paranoid or catatonic
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