1363: Different From, Different To, and Different Than September 4, 2018

The word 'synonym' can sometimes be misleading, as while words may mean the same as each other according to a dictionary, one will likely be more popular, or hold additional connotation for a slew of reasons. For instance, on paper, 'different from', different to' and 'different than' are all essentially the same, but in practice this is not the case. 'Different from' has traditionally been the most common and the most accepted, so while 'different to' may mean the same thing, its relative rarity—especially in America—makes it sound jarring to some. 'Different than' is growing in popularity in part by exposure, but also that it can more freely allow another clause to follow, and therefore lends itself better to a variety of sentences and structures.