dif ‧ fe ‧ rent S1 W1 /ˈdɪf ə rənt/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ differ , ↑ differentiate ; noun : ↑ difference , ↑ differentiation ; adverb : ↑ differently ; adjective : ↑ different ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: French ; Origin: différer ; ⇨ ↑ differ ]
1 . not like something or someone else, or not like before OPP similar
different 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
In spoken British English, different from and different to are both common. Different than is also used in American English and occasionally in British English, especially when it is followed by a clause:
▪
He looks no different than when he was 20.
Teachers prefer different from , so from is the preposition to use in writing:
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Their homes are completely different from ours.
► Do not say 'different of'.
2 . [only before noun] 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] another:
I think she’s moved to a different job now.
4 . spoken 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.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ different if something or someone is different, they are not like something or someone else, or they are not like they were before:
You look different. Have you had your hair cut?
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We’ve painted the door a different colour.
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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 unique :
The book is certainly very rare, and possibly unique.
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the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands
▪ distinctive having a special feature or appearance that makes something different from other things, and makes it easy to recognize:
Male birds have distinctive blue and yellow markings.
▪ unlike [prep] completely different from a particular person or thing:
In 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 relationship:
Apart 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 different:
There’s no resemblance between the two sisters at all.
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The final product bore no resemblance to the original proposal (=it was very different) .
▪ dissimilar formal not the same as something else:
These 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 different:
It’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 different:
You can't compare residential and commercial real estate markets. It's apples and oranges.
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Obama and Romney are apples and oranges.
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Comparing homemade soup to canned soup is really comparing apples and oranges.