Phrase guide

varia lectio

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: vâʹrĭə-lĕkʹtĭō
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈvɛəɹɪəˈlɛktɪəʊ/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any one of the interpretations or readings of a given passage in a text which differ from copy to copy, from edition to edition, from manuscript to manuscript, or from translation to translation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: textual criticism and interpretation

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Latin: varia (feminine singular form of varius, “different”; whence various) + lectiō (“a reading”; whence lection) = “a different reading”

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • German: andere Lesart — any one of the readings of a passage in a text which differ from source to source
  • German: unterschiedliche Lesung — any one of the readings of a passage in a text which differ from source to source
  • Greek: διαφορετική γραφή (diaforetikí grafí) — any one of the readings of a passage in a text which differ from source to source