version

American  

[vur-zhuhn, -shuhn] / ˈvɜr ʒən, -ʃən /

noun

• versions
  plural

1. a particular account of some matter, as from one person or source, contrasted with some other account.

   two different versions of the accident.

   Synonyms:

   impression, story

2. a particular form or variant of something.

   a modern version of an antique.

3. a translation.

4. Often Version a translation of the Bible or a part of it.

5. Medicine/Medical. the act of turning a child in the uterus so as to bring them into a more favorable position for delivery.

6. Pathology. an abnormal direction of the axis of the uterus or other organ.

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version British  

/ ˈvɜːʃən, -ʒən /

noun

1. an account of a matter from a certain point of view, as contrasted with others

   his version of the accident is different from the policeman's

2. a translation, esp of the Bible, from one language into another

3. a variant form of something; type

4. an adaptation, as of a book or play into a film

5. med manual turning of a fetus to correct an irregular position within the uterus

6. pathol an abnormal displacement of the uterus characterized by a tilting forwards ( anteversion ), backwards ( retroversion ), or to either side ( lateroversion )

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Synonym Usage

See translation.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preversion
  noun
• versional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• versions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of version

First recorded in 1575–85; from Medieval Latin versiōn- (stem of versiō ) “a turning,” equivalent to vers(us) (past participle of vertere “to turn”; see verse) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

If the professor says, “Read the complete works of Shakespeare” and you go for the Cliff Notes, you could say you read a short version of the Bard’s work, but really, you're cheating. A version is a specific edition or form of something. Version derives from the Latin vertere, "to turn." Think of it as someone taking a turn, as in an adaptation of a work of art or literature. "Can you believe they made an animated version of The Sinking of the Lusitania?" Or someone giving their own account of an event. "Your version of what happened the night we got locked in the storage unit is totally different from mine!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

version versions

Have you played a version of the Traitors or another social deduction game at home or socially?

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Here’s a line from the version Mr. Sanders introduced last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The buddy-buddy Winkelvoss twins’ version of the app might actually have been better for the world.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

But you have no children, and you have already decided to remember your brother in your will, and yet your aunt decided to proffer a version of that request.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

It was far-fetched, but looking at that miniature version of my home town, I’d have believed anything.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

ITV and S4C series Santa Maria is about a "class divide" in the city, with both Welsh and English versions.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Researchers have known for decades that some organisms use modified versions of the genetic code.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

Unveiled just two years ago and constructed for only four festivals, versions of the sound system have played at famed European events Glastonbury in England and Dekmantel in Amsterdam.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

And brokerages and crypto exchanges have launched tokenized versions of U.S. stocks to overseas investors who face hurdles accessing U.S. markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

I tried to imagine bringing some part of my family with me—all I could imagine were miniature versions of my mom, dad, Aaron, and Rocco, like tiny dolls that I could place in my pocket.

From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin

Related Words

• adaptation
• form
• history
• interpretation
• rendition
• report
• story
• tale
• translation
• variant