differently

American  

[dif-er-uhnt-lee, dif-ruhnt‐] / ˈdɪf ər ənt li, ˈdɪf rənt‐ /

adverb

1. in a manner unlike another in character or quality; dissimilarly.

   This home alarm system works differently from the one in your office.

2. in a way unlike a previous way.

   I’m looking at life differently these days.

3. in diverse ways; variously.

   Several of the sauces look similar, but they are differently flavored.

4. in an atypical way; unusually.

   Dressing differently is just part of her bohemian style.

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Etymology

Origin of differently

First recorded in 1350–1400; different ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

A robot that looks human but behaves differently is creepy, an effect known as the uncanny valley.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Experiments showed that tightly packed rice grains respond very differently depending on how quickly a load is applied.

From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026

First, a warning: A bona fide sale for fair market value is generally treated differently from a gift for Medicaid purposes.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

Instead, Nile’s notoriety and status informed Rhys’ choices: “People treat you differently if they know you’re incredibly wealthy. If you have this social stigma of a missing wife, people treat you very differently.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

I’m looking at the same image but differently.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• individually
• negatively
• separately
• variously