different
[ dif-er-uhnt, dif-ruhnt ]
/ ˈdɪf ər ənt, ˈdɪf rənt /
Save This Word!
adjective
not alike in character or quality; distinct in nature; dissimilar: The two brothers are very different even though they're identical twins.
not identical; separate or distinct: When I asked for directions, three people gave me three different answers.
not ordinary; unusual: I know my new hat is a bit different, but I thought I'd try it out.
OTHER WORDS FOR different
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Origin of different
usage note for different
Although it is frequently claimed that different should be followed only by from, not by than, in actual usage both words occur and have for at least 300 years. From is more common today in introducing a phrase, but than is also used: New York speech is different from (or than ) that of Chicago. Than is used to introduce a clause: The stream followed a different course than the map showed. In sentences of this type, from is sometimes used instead of than; when it is, more words are necessary: a different course from the one the map showed. Regardless of the sentence construction, both from and than are standard after different in all varieties of spoken and written American English. In British English to frequently follows different : The early illustrations are very different to the later ones. The use of different in the sense “unusual” is well established in all but the most formal American English: The décor in the new restaurant is really different.
OTHER WORDS FROM different
dif·fer·ent·ly, adverbdif·fer·ent·ness, nounun·dif·fer·ent, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use different in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for different
different
/ (ˈdɪfərənt, ˈdɪfrənt) /
adjective
partly or completely unlike
not identical or the same; otherhe always wears a different tie
out of the ordinary; unusual
Derived forms of different
differently, adverbdifferentness, nounusage for different
The constructions different from, different to, and different than are all found in the works of writers of English during the past. Nowadays, however, the most widely acceptable preposition to use after different is from . Different to is common in British English, but is considered by some people to be incorrect, or less acceptable. Different than is a standard construction in American English, and has the advantage of conciseness when a clause or phrase follows, as in this result is only slightly different than in the US . As, however, this idiom is not regarded as totally acceptable in British usage, it is preferable either to use different from: this result is only slightly different from that obtained in the US or to rephrase the sentence: this result differs only slightly from that in the US
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with different
different
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.