different

[dif-er-uh nt, dif-ruh nt] /ˈdɪf ər ənt, ˈdɪf rənt/
adjective
1.
not alike in character or quality; differing; dissimilar:
The two are different.
2.
not identical; separate or distinct:
three different answers.
3.
various; several:
Different people told me the same story.
4.
not ordinary; unusual.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English < Anglo-French < Latin different- (stem of differēns), present participle of differre. See differ, -ent
Related forms
differently, adverb
differentness, noun
undifferent, adjective
undifferently, adverb
Synonyms
1. unlike, diverse, divergent, contrary. 3. sundry, divers, miscellaneous. See various.
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.
Examples from the web for different
  • The symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different places and cultures.
  • Near the beginning, my schedule was quite a bit different.
  • There are different types of regions.
  • Each one is different because each school has different requirements.
  • In a study in the journal Science, researchers found that different skin regions harbor very different kinds of bacteria.
  • What you think you are buying and what you actually are buying might be quite different.
  • Eventually, he had 36 different symbols.
  • Ten different flags will be arranged in vertical rows, with each stamp printed five times horizontally.
  • List a range of extreme possibilities for these different factors.
  • Be sure to visit the different continents as well.
British Dictionary definitions for different

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
Derived Forms
differently, adverb
differentness, noun
Usage note
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
Word Origin and History for different
adj.

late 14c., from Old French different (14c.), from Latin differentem (nominative differens) "differing, different," present participle of differre "to set apart" (see differ). Colloquial sense of "special" attested by 1912. Related: Differently.

Idioms and Phrases with different

different

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