What does the word variant mean?

Usage examples for variant

  1. It led him to new and variant ways of defining accent; some of which seem to imply a division of consonants from their vowels in utterance, or to suggest that syllables are not the least parts of spoken words. – The Grammar of English Grammars by Goold Brown
  2. Europe, since history began, has been overfilled with clashing peoples and races with variant beliefs, traditions and languages, and with opposed economic interests. – American World Policies by Walter E. Weyl