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different

adj. · adv.
US //ˈdɪfɝənt// UK //dˈɪfɹənt// dif·fer·ent
  1. 1 not the same (adj.)
    A1 Beginner

    not the same as another person or thing.

    not identical; exhibiting a lack of similarity in character, form, or nature.

    Example

    The two brothers are very different even though they look alike.

    Example

    The results of the second experiment were remarkably different from the initial findings, suggesting that the temperature variable had been underestimated.

    Usage

    Commonly followed by the preposition 'from'.
    Pitfall
    My car is different than yours.
    My car is different from yours.

    In standard British and American English, 'different from' is the most widely accepted prepositional pairing.

  2. 2 various or many (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    used to talk about many separate or various things.

    referring to various or assorted items within a group; distinct and separate.

    Example

    We visited three different museums during our trip to London.

    Example

    The committee heard testimony from twelve different experts, each representing a unique sector of the renewable energy industry.

    Usage

    Often follows a number or a determiner like 'several' or 'many'.
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  1. 3 unusual (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    not like most other things; special or unusual.

    distinctive or unusual in a way that sets the subject apart from the norm.

    Example

    I like her style; it is very different and creative.

    Example

    The director's approach to the classic play was certainly different, incorporating modern technology into a sixteenth-century setting.
  2. 4 in a different way (adv.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    in a way that is not the same.

    functioning as a manner adverb meaning 'differently'; common in specific collocations like 'think different'.

    Example

    You need to look at the problem different if you want to solve it.

    Example

    The marketing campaign encouraged consumers to think different, challenging the established conventions of the personal computer industry.

    Teacher's tip

    While 'differently' is the standard adverb, 'different' is frequently used as an adverb in informal speech and famous advertising slogans.
Origin

From Middle English different, from Old French different, from Latin differēns, present active participle of differō (“to differ”). See also differ. Supplanted native Old English ungelic (whence modern English unalike).

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