Definition of differentnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word different different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of different are disparate, divergent, diverse, and various. While all these words mean "unlike in kind or character," different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness.

different foods

When could disparate be used to replace different?

The words disparate and different are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, disparate emphasizes incongruity or incompatibility.

disparate notions of freedom

When can divergent be used instead of different?

Although the words divergent and different have much in common, divergent implies movement away from each other and unlikelihood of ultimate meeting or reconciliation.

went on to pursue divergent careers

In what contexts can diverse take the place of different?

In some situations, the words diverse and different are roughly equivalent. However, diverse implies both distinctness and marked contrast.

such diverse interests as dancing and football

Where would various be a reasonable alternative to different?

While in some cases nearly identical to different, various stresses the number of sorts or kinds.

tried various methods

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of different The company has previously acknowledged that those fees can create different expectations between hosts and travelers. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 But Connecticut education leaders have a different diagnosis for what went wrong in Ortiz’s case. — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026 But this year is different, thanks in large part to the energetic and undeniably unapologetic Angel Reese. — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 For 16-year-old Yasmin Taylor, the opportunity means being able to share her thoughts with others and hear different points of view. — CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for different
Recent Examples of Synonyms for different
Adjective
  • Conceivably, there is Naftali Bennett, who served as PM in 2021-22 but could not keep his diverse coalition together.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
  • His great-grandson is focused on how to build a corporate culture that suits both Japan, “our mother countryâ€� and the source of more than half of the group’s sales, and the diverse expectations of 40,000 employees around the world.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Davis’s letter follows a separate ethics complaint filed by a conservative watchdog group to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics over Slotkin’s University of Chicago remarks, first reported by the Washington Examiner on Tuesday.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Ticketmaster also faces a separate lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission and seven states.
    — James LaForge, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Altadena had a distinctive and cherished identity before the fire.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The tiny Norwegian archipelago, 68 degrees north of the Arctic Circle and two flights from Oslo, is a distinctive and dramatic landscape with spiky mountains rising from the Norwegian Sea and sandy beaches fringed by fjords.
    — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Yet the clubs from small markets with relatively low payrolls found ways to play the best baseball in each of their respective leagues this season en route to the World Series.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The only visible evidence of a human hand was paper coverings, which had been taped on the machines to obscure their respective logos.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Researchers identified distinct activity patterns in the brain’s dorsal regions that directly correlate with social dominance through the observation of freely interacting mice.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Nevertheless, analysts caution that evaluating the deal requires assessing whether the combined entity can generate distinct operational synergies and unlock long term expansion potential.
    — , CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Officials and spokesmen from around the state and various agencies couldn't be unavailable enough for comment.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Just as in the previous 10 cycles, the current cycle combines economic concerns (including energy prices) and negative stories about incumbents in various offices.
    — Ron Elving, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Levine did, however, receive a letter signed by over a dozen former Israeli security, intelligence and other officials, including former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, former Mossad director Tamir Pardo and former Shin Bet director Ami Ayalon.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Ten other people, ages 5 to 68, were also hit and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, Police Capt.
    — Maggie Vespa, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The researchers varied how many dots moved together, ranging from 81 percent of the dots coherently moving together, which is trivially easy to determine, down to 3 percent, which is barely distinguishable from noise.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
  • By combining them in different proportions, the researchers can create 16 distinguishable colours and at least 300 different shades.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Different.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/different. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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