differently

D2I1F4F4E1R1E1N1T1L1Y4
/ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li//ˈdɪf.ɹənt.li/

adverb

In a different way.

“Things turned out differently from what I'd envisaged.”

CommonScrabble 21

Meanings

adverbdifferently (comparative more differently, superlative most differently)

comparative more differently · superlative most differently

  1. In a different way.

    Things turned out differently from what I'd envisaged.

    3 more examples

    I was (says Mr. Highmore) forcibly struck with the violence of its pulsation, so much so, that, if it had been differently situated, I should have considered it an aneurism of considerable magnitude.

    1815, “Critical Analysis of Recent Publications”, in The Medical and Physical Journal, volume 34

    "You see, gentlemen, I couldn't bear the look of him, there was something in him ignoble, impudent, trampling on everything sacred, something sneering and irreverent, loathsome, loathsome. But now that he's dead, I feel differently." "How do you mean?" "I don't feel differently, but I wish I hadn't hated him so." "You feel penitent?" "No, not penitent, don't write that. I'm not much good myself; I'm not very beautiful, so I had no right to consider him repulsive. That's what I mean. Write that down, if you like."

    1912, Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Constance Garnett, The Brothers Karamazov

    Recent research in the field of sociolinguistics and related fields has shown that women and men speak differently.

    2007, Vanessa Leonardi, Gender and Ideology in Translation: Do Women and Men Translate Differently?

    Synonyms: elsewise, othergates, otherly, otherways, otherwhence, otherwise, serely

Synonyms & antonyms

More synonyms by meaning

adverbin another and different manner

Similar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  2. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  3. Proto-Indo-European*d(w)is-
  4. Proto-Italic*dis-
  5. Latindis-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*bʰer-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéreti
  8. Proto-Italic*ferō
  9. Latinferō
  10. Latindifferō
  11. Latindifferēns
  12. Old Frenchdifferent
  13. Middle Englishdifferent
  14. Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
  15. Proto-Germanic*līką
  16. Middle Englishdifferently
  17. Englishdifferently

From Middle English differently; equivalent to different + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἑτέρως, ἀλλοίως
  • ἑτέρως (hetérōs)in a different way
  • ἀλλοίως (alloíōs)in a different way
Bulgarian различно, другояче
  • различно (različno)in a different way
  • другояче (drugojače)in a different way
Catalan diferentment
  • diferentmentin a different way
Czech odlišně
  • odlišněin a different way
Danish forskelligt, specielt
  • forskelligtin a different way
  • specieltin a different way
  • anderledesin a different way
Dutch verschillend, anders
  • verschillendin a different way
  • andersin a different way
Esperanto diference, malsame
  • diferencein a different way
  • malsamein a different way
Finnish erilaisesti, eri lailla
  • erilaisestiin a different way
  • eri laillain a different way
French différemment
  • différemmentin a different way
German anders
  • andersin a different way
Greek αλλιώς
  • αλλιώς (alliós)in a different way
Hungarian máshogyan
  • máshogyanin a different way
Italian differentemente, diversamente
  • differentementein a different way
  • diversamentein a different way
Latin aliter
  • aliterin a different way
Norwegian Bokmål forskjellig
  • forskjelligin a different way
Polish inaczej
  • inaczejin a different way
Portuguese diferentemente
  • diferentementein a different way
Russian по-друго́му
  • по-друго́му (po-drugómu)in a different way
Spanish diferentemente
  • diferentementein a different way
Cite this entry
APA

differently. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/differently

MLA

“differently.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/differently. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “differently,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/differently.

Source: differently on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.