Standard Lemma guide

differently

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈdɪfɹəntli/
  • /ˈdɪfəɹəntli/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH1 F R AH0 N T L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: D IH1 F ER0 EH1 N T L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a different way.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Things turned out differently from what I'd envisaged.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

in another and different manner;

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • very soon you will know differently
  • she thought otherwise
  • there is no way out other than the fire escape

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: otherwise, other than

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Proto-Indo-European *bher- Proto-Indo-European *bhéreti Proto-Italic *ferō Latin ferō Latin differō Latin differēnsder. Old French differentbor. Middle English different Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly Middle English differently English differently From Middle English differently; equivalent to different + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: различно (različno) — in a different way
  • Bulgarian: другояче (drugojače) — in a different way
  • Catalan: diferentment — in a different way
  • Czech: odlišně — in a different way
  • Danish: forskelligt — in a different way
  • Danish: specielt — in a different way
  • Danish: anderledes — in a different way
  • Dutch: verschillend — in a different way
  • Dutch: anders — in a different way
  • Esperanto: diference — in a different way
  • Esperanto: malsame — in a different way
  • Finnish: erilaisesti — in a different way
  • Finnish: eri lailla — in a different way
  • French: différemment — in a different way
  • German: anders — in a different way
  • Gothic: 𐌰𐌽𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍉 (anþarleikō) — in a different way
  • Greek: αλλιώς (alliós) — in a different way
  • Ancient Greek: ἑτέρως (hetérōs) — in a different way
  • Ancient Greek: ἀλλοίως (alloíōs) — in a different way
  • Hungarian: máshogyan — in a different way
  • Italian: differentemente — in a different way
  • Italian: diversamente — in a different way
  • Latin: aliter — in a different way
  • Middle English: differently — in a different way
  • Norman: difféthemment — in a different way
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forskjellig — in a different way
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forskjellig — in a different way
  • Plautdietsch: aundasch — in a different way
  • Polish: inaczej — in a different way
  • Portuguese: diferentemente — in a different way
  • Russian: по-друго́му (po-drugómu) — in a different way
  • Serbo-Croatian: drugačije — in a different way
  • Serbo-Croatian: drukčije — in a different way
  • Lower Sorbian: hynak — in a different way
  • Spanish: diferentemente — in a different way
  • Tocharian B: āläm — in a different way
Real reading context

differently in complete knowledge articles