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than
[ than, then; unstressed thuhn, uhn ]
conjunction
- (used, as after comparative adjectives and adverbs, to introduce the second member of an unequal comparison):
She's taller than I am.
- (used after some adverbs and adjectives expressing choice or diversity, such as other, otherwise, else, anywhere, or different, to introduce an alternative or denote a difference in kind, place, style, identity, etc.):
I had no choice other than that. You won't find such freedom anywhere else than in this country.
- (used to introduce the rejected choice in expressions of preference):
I'd rather walk than drive there.
- except; other than:
We had no choice than to return home.
- when:
We had barely arrived than we had to leave again.
preposition
- in relation to; by comparison with (usually followed by a pronoun in the objective case):
He is a person than whom I can imagine no one more courteous.
than
/ Ă°ĂŠn; Ă°Én /
conjunction
- used to introduce the second element of a comparison, the first element of which expresses difference
couldn't do otherwise than love him
shorter than you
he swims faster than I run
- used after adverbs such as rather or sooner to introduce a rejected alternative in an expression of preference
rather than be imprisoned, I shall die
- other thanbesides; in addition to
Usage
Grammar Note
yĐÄvlog History and Origins
yĐÄvlog History and Origins
Origin of than1
Idioms and Phrases
see actions speak louder than words ; bark is worse than one's bite ; better late than never ; better safe than sorry ; better than ; bite off more than one can chew ; blood is thicker than water ; easier said than done ; eyes are bigger than one's stomach ; in (less than) no time ; irons in the fire, more than one ; less than ; more dead than alive ; more fun than a barrel of monkeys ; more in sorrow than in anger ; more often than not ; more sinned against than sinning ; more than meets the eye ; more than one bargained for ; more than one can shake a stick at ; more than one way to skin a cat ; none other than ; no sooner said than done ; other than ; quicker than you can say Jack Robinson ; wear another (more than one) hat .Example Sentences
She has said she would rather die than be poor, and her oldest son has said his entire life is tied to his dadâs business.
A lieutenant at the Palmdale station announced this week that he will challenge Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna in the primary election, becoming the first opposition candidate in a race more than a year away.
But in fact the two men's backgrounds were more similar than their demeanours ever suggested - and his role in Richard's life would prove to be transformative.
Favelas are informal settlements and there are more than 1,000 in Rio de Janeiro.
Young Perspective, a YouTube channel with more than 800,000 subscribers run by someone who describes himself as "a young man who values freedom", often shares clips from parliamentary sessions showing PPP politicians taking down opposition members.
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Than Vs. Then
Whatâs the difference between than and then?
Than is a very common word used in comparisons, as in Sheâs a little older than you or This hot sauce is a lot spicier than that one. Then is a very common word thatâs used in situations involving what comes nextâeither in terms of time (as in Just then, the door opened or We saw a movie and then we drove home) or a result (as in If you forget to water the plants, then they will wilt).
Grammatically speaking, than is used as a conjunction or preposition, while then is used as an adverb or adjective.
Perhaps the most common way the two words are confused is when then is used when it should be than, but doing the reverse is also a common mistake.
One way to tell if youâre using the right word is to remember that then is usually used to indicate what comes next, and then and next are both spelled with the letter e.
Hereâs an example of then and than used correctly in the same sentence.
Example: If you want to be an expert, then youâll need more experience than you have now.
Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between than and then.
Quiz yourself on than ±čČő.Ìęthen!
Should than or then be used in the following sentence?
I went to the grocery store, _____ the dry cleaners.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American HeritageŸ Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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