DictionaryAI

another

uh-NUTH-ur/əˈnʌð.ɚ/uh-NUTH-uh/əˈnʌð.ə/

5 meanings of another

Practice

  1. 1
    one moredeterminer
    One more, in addition to those already there; a second or further one of the same kind.

    She has written another book.

    Can we stay for another day?

    Usageanother + singular noun (not incorrect: an another), or + a number and plural noun as one amount: another ten minutes.

    Note

    An and other fused into one word, which is why it never takes a second article: nobody says "an another."

  2. 2
    some otherdeterminer
    A different one; some other one of the same kind, rather than this one or the first.

    That is another matter entirely.

    She moved to another town.

    UsageBefore a plural noun use other: other towns (not incorrect: another towns).

    Note

    Here the "other" half carries the weight of difference. Another way to do this job is not a second way piled on top of the first but an alternative to it. The same spelling serves the "one more" meaning, so context does the sorting. When a sentence could go either way, a different way or a different town removes the doubt, while another point of view naturally reads as a fresh angle.

  3. 3
    some other (by itself)pronoun
    Used on its own in place of a noun: someone or something other than the one just mentioned, as in from one place to another or one way or another.

    This road is blocked, so we will take another.

    If the plan fails, we need another.

  4. 4
    pronoun
    Used on its own in place of a noun: one more of the same thing, as in 'That cake was good; can I have another?'

    If you finish that puzzle, I have another.

    He ate one biscuit and reached for another.

    UsageOften paired with one: she finished one cup and poured another.

    Note

    The noun has dropped out because earlier words or the situation already supply it: at a table, "bring me another" can mean another napkin. Whether it means one more or a different one is left entirely to context.

Less common meaning

  1. 5
    like someone famousdeterminer
    Placed before the name of someone or something famous to describe a person or thing that closely resembles them.

    Reviewers hailed the twelve-year-old composer as another Mozart.

    City leaders hope the old warehouse district will turn into another Silicon Valley.

Practice

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Origin

On its surface it is simply "an" + "other"; the word itself goes back to Middle English "another."