version

American  

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

noun

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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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!"

Example Sentences

That has given some users the impression that their outputs have grown more trustworthy since the days when an early version of Google’s AI Overviews suggested eating rocks and putting glue on pizza.

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

Alex Parmar-Yee from trans rights campaign group Trans+ Solidarity Alliance said it was positive the draft guidance had been amended because the earlier leaked version had been "unworkable".

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Coachella has its own version of the Enchanted Tiki Room attraction from Disneyland — and it comes from the most unlikely of artists: British alt rockers Radiohead.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Penelope had tried to conjure the scene so many times that she no longer could tell what was memory and what was simply her own imagined version of the day.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

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