Lodash _.VERSION Property

What Is _.VERSION?

A string property on the Lodash namespace that holds the semantic version number of the build you loaded (for example "4.17.21"). Stable metadata — not deprecated.

_.VERSION

// → "4.17.21"  (matches your loaded build)

typeof _.VERSION
// → "string"

How to Use _.VERSION

Load Lodash, then read the property — no arguments, no call.

1. Import or require the full Lodash namespace (or load it from a CDN).
2. Read _.VERSION — a string like "4.17.21".
3. Log it for debugging, or compare with an exact expected pin.
4. Do not use string >= for semver ranges; use exact match or a semver library.

Pseudocode

// Lodash build embeds:
VERSION = "x.y.z"   // from that release

read:
  return VERSION    // no compute, no args

Cheat Sheet

Keep these facts handy when checking which Lodash build is running.

Live Preview

Inspect the Lodash build loaded on this page (official VERSION docs).

_.VERSION
→ "4.17.21"

Worked Walkthrough

Trace how the version string reaches your console, from the official docs.

1. Load Lodash (npm / CDN / bundler)
2. Build embeds VERSION = "x.y.z"
3. You read _.VERSION → that string

console.log(_.VERSION)
// → "4.17.21"  (this page’s CDN)

// Wrong: treat it like a method
_.VERSION()   // TypeError — string is not a function

Lodash Examples

Short, copy-ready snippets. Open DevTools, or use Try It Yourself for a live editor.

console.log(_.VERSION);
// → "4.17.21"

console.log(typeof _.VERSION);
// → "string"

4.17.21
string

function boot() {
  console.info("[app] Lodash", _.VERSION, "ready");
}

boot();
// → [app] Lodash 4.17.21 ready

[app] Lodash 4.17.21 ready

var expected = "4.17.21";
var runtime = _.VERSION;

console.log("expected:", expected);
console.log("runtime: ", runtime);
console.log("match:", expected === runtime);
// → match: true

expected: 4.17.21
runtime:  4.17.21
match: true

// WRONG — string compare is not semver
console.log("4.17.9" >= "4.17.10"); // true (incorrect!)

// OK — exact pin
if (_.VERSION !== "4.17.21") {
  console.warn("Unexpected Lodash", _.VERSION);
}

// OK — ranges need a real semver library
// semver.satisfies(_.VERSION, "^4.17.0")

true

Performance Notes

Reading _.VERSION is a plain property access — negligible cost. Log it once at startup if needed; there is no benefit to reading it in hot loops.

Key Takeaways