alternative vs variant

alternative

noun
  • One of several mutually exclusive things which can be chosen. 

  • A situation which allows a mutually exclusive choice between two or more possibilities; a choice between two or more possibilities. 

  • alternative rock 

  • A non-offensive word or phrase that serves as a replacement for a word deemed offensive or unacceptable, though not as a euphemism. 

  • The remaining option; something available after other possibilities have been exhausted. 

adj
  • Relating to a choice between two or more possibilities. 

  • Presenting two or more alternatives. 

  • Other; different from something else. 

  • Not traditional, outside the mainstream, underground. 

variant

noun
  • Something that is slightly different from a type or norm. 

  • A different sequence of a gene (locus). 

  • A variable that can hold any of various unrelated data types. 

  • One of a set of words or other linguistic forms that conveys the same meaning or serves the same function. 

adj
  • Showing deviation or disagreement. 

  • Showing variety, diverse. 

  • Covariant and/or contravariant. 

How often have the words alternative and variant occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )