Meaning & use
different
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Not the same as another person or thing.
Grammar: Use 'different from' in careful writing; 'different than' is common in American speech; 'different to' is common in British English.
Patterns
- different from someone/something
- different than someone/something
- different to someone/something
My new phone is different from my old one.
Her opinion is different than mine.
The weather here is different to what I expected.
adjectivenot comparable
Separate and distinct; not the same one.
Grammar: Often used before a plural noun: different people, different times.
Patterns
- different things
- different ways
We come from different countries.
There are many different ways to solve this problem.
The store sells many different kinds of tea.
Common combinations
- completely different
- Their answers were completely different.
- different from
- This painting is different from the others.
- different than
- The movie was different than I expected.
- different to
- His accent is different to mine.
- totally different
- Life in the city is totally different from life in the country.
Synonyms and how they differ
- distinct
- Emphasizes clear separation; 'distinct' is stronger than 'different'.
- dissimilar
- More formal; used when things are not alike at all.
- unlike
- A preposition, not an adjective: 'Unlike her sister, she loves sports.'
Opposites
Word family
- differ verb
- To be unlike or to disagree.
- difference noun
- The way things are not the same.
- differently adverb
- In a different way.
Commonly confused: different or indifferent?
different vs indifferent
Indifferent means not interested or not caring, not 'not different'.
Practice
Her style is quite different _____ her sister's.
Choose one answer.
The standard pattern is 'different from'. 'Different of', 'different with', and 'different at' are not used in this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “different”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.