different

DIF-uh-ruhnt/ˈdɪ.fə.ɹənt/

5 meanings of different

1
not the sameadjective
Not the same; showing a difference when compared with something else.
The two reports reached different conclusions about the cause.
Her accent sounds different from the rest of her family.
UsageUsually different from; different to is also heard, mainly in British English, and different than is common in American English.
Similardissimilar, contrasting, divergent, distinct, unlike
Oppositesame, identical
2
adjective
Distinct and separate; of various kinds, often used after numbers or words like many and several for emphasis.
The museum displays artifacts from many different cultures.
She speaks several different languages fluently.
Similardistinct, various, diverse, separate, varied
Oppositesame
3
unusualadjective
Unlike most others; out of the ordinary or unusual.
The restaurant offers something genuinely different from the usual chains.
She wanted a different sort of birthday, so they went camping instead.
UsageWell, it's different can tactfully withhold praise. Use refreshingly different to show approval.
Similarunusual, abnormal, bizarre, anomalous, curious
Oppositeordinary, normal, common

Less common meanings

4
in another wayadverbcolloquial
In a manner that is not the same; differently.
Kids today talk different than we did at their age, and that is fine.
They do things different over on the coast.
UsageMostly in speech or dialogue after verbs: talk different, act different; most writing uses differently.
Oppositesimilarly, alike
Note
Newspapers and news services, from the Port Phillip Gazette in 1843 to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's ABC Premium News in 2016, print it, often in quoted speech.
5
noun
In algebraic number theory, an ideal associated with an extension of number fields that measures the ramification within it.

Practice

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Origin

This word entered Middle English from Old French different, which came from Latin differēns, the present active participle of differō ('I differ'). It replaced the native Old English word ungelic, the source of modern 'unalike'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

Different entered Middle English from Old French different, ultimately from Latin differēns, the present active participle of differō. en.wiktionary.org
Latin differō means 'I differ'. en.wiktionary.org
Different supplanted the native Old English word ungelic in common usage. en.wiktionary.org
Modern unalike descends from Old English ungelic. en.wiktionary.org