Word family noun difference differentiation adjective different verb differ differentiate adverb differently
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdifferentdif‧fe‧rent /ˈdɪfərənt/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective 1 DIFFERENTnot like something or someone else, or not like before OPP similardifferent from Our sons are very different from each other.different to Her jacket’s different to mine.different than American English He seemed different than he did in New York. The place looks completely different now. They decided to try a radically different approach. We found women had significantly different political views from men. a slightly different way of doing things What actually happened was subtly different from the PR people’s version. The show is refreshingly different from most exhibitions of modern art. The publishing business is no different from any other business in this respect. It’s a different world here in London.GRAMMAR: Prepositions with different• You usually say different from: Their home is different from ours.• In American English, people also say different than: Their home is different than ours.• In spoken British English, people also say different to: Their home is different to ours. ✗Don’t say: Their home is different of ours.2 [only before noun]VARIOUS/OF DIFFERENT KINDS used to talk about two or more separate things of the same basic kind SYN various Different people reacted in different ways.different types/kinds etc There are many different types of fabric. I looked in lots of different books but couldn’t find anything about it.3 [only before noun]DIFFERENT another I think she’s moved to a different job now.4 spokenUNUSUAL unusual, often in a way that you do not like ‘What did you think of the film?’ ‘Well, it was certainly different.’ —differently adverb I didn’t expect to be treated any differently from anyone else. Things could have turned out quite differently.THESAURUSdifferent if something or someone is different, they are not like something or someone else, or they are not like they were beforeYou look different. Have you had your hair cut?We’ve painted the door a different colour.The cultures of the two countries are very different.unique very different, special, or unusual and the only one of its kind. Don’t use words such as very before uniqueThe book is certainly very rare, and possibly unique.the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islandsdistinctive having a special feature or appearance that makes something different from other things, and makes it easy to recognizeMale birds have distinctive blue and yellow markings.unlike [preposition] completely different from a particular person or thingIn Britain, unlike the United States, the government provides health care. have nothing in common if two people have nothing in common, they do not have the same interests or opinions and therefore cannot form a friendly relationshipApart from the fact that we went to the same school, we have absolutely nothing in common.there’s no/little resemblance used when saying that two people or things seem very differentThere’s no resemblance between the two sisters at all.The final product bore no resemblance to the original proposal (=it was very different).dissimilar formal not the same as something elseThese four politically dissimilar states have all signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation.be like chalk and cheese British English informal if two people are like chalk and cheese, they are completely differentIt’s hard to believe that they’re brothers – they’re like chalk and cheese!be (like) apples and oranges American English informal used when saying that two people or things are very differentYou can't compare residential and commercial real estate markets. It's apples and oranges. Obama and Romney are apples and oranges.Comparing homemade soup to canned soup is really comparing apples and oranges. Examples from the Corpus
different• "Do you like my new shoes?" "Well, they sure are different."• He took the photo from three different angles.• The bookstore has many different books on Kennedy.• I always check the prices of different brands before I make a major purchase.• His hair was dyed in at least three different colors.• We've painted the door a different colour.• Let's compare the prices of five different detergents.• The religion took different forms in the islands where slaves were taken.• This computer's different from the one I used in my last job.• Whatever the factors underlying the different growth rates, it is consistent with the uneven relationship emerging in the inter-war years.• You look different. Have you had your hair cut?• All of us have different levels of tolerance to the demands on our mental energy.• I'd like a totally different look in the kitchen - something brighter and more modern.• The word can have completely different meanings depending on the context.• Things are different now, since John left.• The drug affects different people in different ways.• a drug that affects different people in different ways• Their members may have different professions, different beliefs, different sets of skills.• He kept his reputation intact to run again another day, with a different result.• And each opinion produces surprisingly different results.• Alice transferred to a different school last year.• There are four variants of this system, all of which have different shoot requirements.• Life today is different than ten, fifteen years ago.• He looked so different that his own daughter didn't recognize him.• Tables 6.6 and 6.7 give two views of this shift, considering different time periods and employing different classifications.• People are all so different. You can never tell how they will react.a different world• He had been to school one day and already he was using phrases and assuming roles that belonged to a different world.• I felt as if I had awakened in a different world.• She meant quite a different world.• I still couldn't believe I was here, in a different world, all peace and beauty.• This was a different world altogether.• According to Bergson, however, the field was a different world: I had an excellent infantry company.• This had the odd effect of making Tam and Richie seem to be moving in a different world to me.• A letter from his wife gave the feeling that she was in a different world, which he would never again inhabit.different types/kinds etc• No, they have 17 different types of caulking guns!• The idea of a crossroads is a difficult concept to pin down because we have to distinguish between different types of changes.• It is ingesting many different types of foods, living and dead, plant and animal.• We are curiously unreasonable in the distinctions we make between different kinds of goods and services.• To understand even the simplest text, we need many different kinds of knowledge.• Task 11 A computer has several different kinds of memory.• The application of conservation principles to different kinds of problems usually follows a sequence and thus constitutes a scale of development.• A balanced read-aloud diet gives our children an appreciation for the sounds and shapes and purposes of many different kinds of texts.Origin different (1300-1400) French différer; → DIFFER 