- not the same as somebody/something; not like somebody/something else
- different from somebody/something American English is significantly different from British English.
- different to somebody/something (especially British English) It's slightly different to what I'm used to.
- different than somebody/something (especially North American English) He's different than the rest.
- It's completely different now than it was a year ago.
- People often give very different accounts of the same event.
- My son's terribly untidy; my daughter's no different.
- The room looks different without the furniture.
- Now he spoke in a different and kinder voice.
- Let's try a different approach.
British/American different from / to / thandifferent from / to / thanopposite similar- Different from is the most common structure in both British English and North American English. Different to is also used, especially in British English:
- Paul’s very different from/to his brother.
- This visit is very different from/to last time.
- Especially in North American English people also say different than:
- Your trains are different than ours.
- You look different than before.
- The use of different than is now becoming more common in British English as well, especially before a clause, because you don't need to use what or how after than. Compare:
- She looked different than I'd expected.
- She looked different from what I’d expected.
Extra ExamplesTopics Opinion and argumenta1- Their customs are very different to ours.
- Attitudes are quite different in England.
- The tune returns in a subtly different guise.
- This is a far different movie from his previous one.
- This school is radically different from most others.
- He's a different proposition from his father—much less tolerant.
- It's very different to what I'm used to.
- We must approach the problem from a different standpoint.
- The movie's different than the original book.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- appear
- be
- feel
- …
- very
- far
- clearly
- …
- from
- to
- than
- …
- [only before noun] separate and individual
- Each chapter deals with a different type of business.
- She offered us five different kinds of cake.
- We're helping society in many different ways.
- The programme was about customs in different parts of the country.
- They are sold in many different colours.
- I looked it up in three different dictionaries.
Extra Examples- This exquisite little hotel seemed to belong to a different age.
- The three friends are all from different ethnic backgrounds.
- We come from different worlds.
- They use alternating bands of different coloured bricks.
- The same colour may not have the same effect on different types of paper.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- appear
- be
- feel
- …
- very
- far
- clearly
- …
- from
- to
- than
- …
- [not usually before noun] (informal) unusual; not like other people or things
- ‘Did you enjoy the play?’ ‘Well, it was certainly different!’
Extra Examples- Her methods are different, but no less effective for that.
- I love playing in jazz bands because the music is so different.
- a refreshingly different approach to language learning
More Like This Words that look like opposites, but aren’tWords that look like opposites, but aren’t
Word Originlate Middle English: via Old French from Latin different- ‘carrying away, differing’, from the verb differre, from dis- ‘from, away’ + ferre ‘bring, carry’.
Idioms
See different in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee different in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishbe another/a different matter
- to be very different
- I know which area they live in, but whether I can find their house is a different matter.
- That's a whole different matter.
- I don't mind lizards, but snakes are a different matter.
a different kettle of fish
- (informal) a completely different situation or person from the one previously mentioned
know different/otherwise
- (informal) to have information or evidence that the opposite is true
- He says he doesn't care about what the critics write, but I know different.
march to (the beat of) a different drummer/drum | march to a different beat/tune
- to behave in a different way from other people; to have different attitudes or ideas
- She was a gifted and original artist who marched to a different drummer.
pull in different/opposite directions
- to have different aims that cannot be achieved together without causing problems
- There are different considerations, often pulling in different directions.
put a new/different complexion on something
- to change the way that a situation appears
- What you have told us puts a different complexion on the situation.
- This puts a whole new complexion on the matter.
sing a different tune
- to change your opinion about somebody/something or your attitude towards somebody/somethingTopics Opinion and argumentc2
tell a different story/tale
- to give some information that is different from what you expect or have been told
- These drugs are widely believed to be effective medications. The data, however, tell a different story.
Check pronunciation:
different