different

[ dif-er-uhnt, dif-ruhnt ]

adjective

1. not alike in character or quality; distinct in nature; dissimilar:

   The two brothers are very different even though they're identical twins.

   Synonyms: contrary, divergent, diverse, unlike

2. not identical; separate or distinct:

   When I asked for directions, three people gave me three different answers.

3. various; several:

   Different people told me the same story.

   Synonyms: miscellaneous, divers, sundry

4. not ordinary; unusual:

   I know my new hat is a bit different, but I thought I'd try it out.

different

/ ˈdɪfərənt; ˈdɪfrənt /

adjective

1. partly or completely unlike
2. not identical or the same; other

   he always wears a different tie

3. out of the ordinary; unusual

Usage Note

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.

Usage

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

Derived Forms

• ˈdifferently, adverb
• ˈdifferentness, noun

Other Words From

• differ·ent·ly adverb
• differ·ent·ness noun
• un·differ·ent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of different¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin different- (stem of differēns ), present participle of differre “to scatter, disperse”; differ, -ent

Idioms and Phrases

• horse of a different color
• kettle of fish, different
• march to a different drummer
• sing a different tune
• wear another (different) hat

Example Sentences

The new image shows that the cocoon is stretched-out, which surprised scientists, who expected a different shape based on previous observations and computer models.

From Science Daily

In the interim, the two sides conferred and came to an agreement on a different policy — but one that also mentions the need to cooperate with oversight investigations.

From Los Angeles Times

So instead of owning a few shares of an index fund, you might own partial shares in hundreds of different companies.

From Salon

“Because I’ve had sushi a thousand times, and I’ve held sushi a thousand different ways, and never once have I seen sushi behaving that way.”

From Salon

"We examined different sand shapes, finding a sand that would give us hardness, combining elements of clay, silt and particle distribution to make sure that we had a high-binding strength soil," says McKay.

From BBC

Related Words

• bizarre
• distinctive
• extraordinary
• offbeat
• peculiar
• rare
• special
• strange
• unconventional
• unique
• unusual

When To Use

What are other ways to say different?

Things that are different from one another are not alike in character or quality. How does different compare to synonyms various, distinct, and diverse? Find out on Thesaurus.com.