THAN


Meaning of THAN in English

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

1.

You use ~ after a comparative adjective or adverb in order to link two parts of a comparison.

The radio only weighs a few ounces and is smaller ~ a cigarette packet...

Indian skins age far more slowly ~ American or Italian ones.

PREP: compar PREP group

Than is also a conjunction.

He wished he could have helped her more ~ he did...

Sometimes patients are more depressed six months later ~ when they first hear the bad news.

CONJ: compar CONJ cl

2.

You use ~ when you are stating a number, quantity, or value approximately by saying that it is above or below another number, quantity, or value.

They talked on the phone for more ~ an hour.

...the three-match Test series in England, starting in less ~ two months time...

PREP: more/less PREP n

3.

You use ~ in order to link two parts of a contrast, for example in order to state a preference.

The arrangement was more a formality ~ a genuine partnership of two nations...

CONJ

4.

less ~: see less

more ~: see more

more often ~ not: see often

other ~: see other

rather ~: see rather

Collins COBUILD.      Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык Коллинз COBUILD (международная база данных языков Бирмингемского университета) .