version
Americannoun
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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
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a particular form or variant of something.
a modern version of an antique.
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a translation.
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Often Version a translation of the Bible or a part of it.
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Medicine/Medical. the act of turning a child in the uterus so as to bring them into a more favorable position for delivery.
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Pathology. an abnormal direction of the axis of the uterus or other organ.
noun
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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
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a translation, esp of the Bible, from one language into another
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a variant form of something; type
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an adaptation, as of a book or play into a film
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med manual turning of a fetus to correct an irregular position within the uterus
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pathol an abnormal displacement of the uterus characterized by a tilting forwards ( anteversion ), backwards ( retroversion ), or to either side ( lateroversion )
Related Words
See translation.
Other Word Forms
- preversion noun
- versional adjective
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”; 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!"
Vocabulary lists containing version
Foundational Reading
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Catching Fire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"That I'd have the space and the opportunity to be my best version."
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
The Original Memphis Five recorded first, an instrumental foxtrot version in March.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
It can serve as a place to brainstorm or even draft an early version of a press release “as long as there is a significant, significant editing process,” he says.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
“I listened to most of our competitors at the J.P. Morgan conference this week and many said some version of ‘hope is our strategy.’
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
“Is the pope Catholic?” is another popular version of this type of question, but new ones are invented all the time.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
