Dictionary

than en · ADP

Pronunciation

• [ðn̩] (unstressed)
• thən (unstressed)
• (US, unstressed) audio
• thăn stressed form
• thĕn stressed form
• /ðɛn/ stressed form
• /ðən/ (unstressed)
• (US, stressed) audio
• /ðæn/ stressed form

Etymology

From Middle English than, thanne (“than; then”), from Old English þanne, a variant of þonne (“then; when; than”), from Proto-West Germanic *þannē, an alteration of *þan (“then; than”), from Proto-Germanic *þan (“then; than”), from earlier *þam, from Proto-Indo-European *tóm, accusative masculine of *só (“that”, demonstrative pronoun). Cognate with Dutch dan (“then; than”), German denn (“for; so”), German dann (“then”). Doublet of then.

Meanings

1. Introduces a comparison, and is associated with comparatives, and with words such as more, less, and fewer. Typically, it seeks to measure the force of an adjective or similar description between two predicates.
   • Patients diagnosed more recently are probably surviving an average of longer than two years.
   • No player is more skillful than Greg.

Forms

Deriveds

wherethan

Translations (133)

hu -nél (Introduces a comparison) · id daripada (Introduces a comparison) · kmr ji (Introduces a comparison) · la quam (Introduces a comparison) · sga ol (Introduces a comparison) · br eget (Introduces a comparison) · bg не́же (Introduces a comparison) · gd na (Introduces a comparison) · fo enn (Introduces a comparison) · es que (Introduces a comparison) · grc ἤ (Introduces a comparison) · sq sesa (Introduces a comparison) · af as (Introduces a comparison) · kw ages (Introduces a comparison) · arz من (Introduces a comparison) · nb enn (Introduces a comparison) · bg не́гли (Introduces a comparison) · ru не́же (Introduces a comparison) · my ထက် (Introduces a comparison) · uk від (Introduces a comparison) · he מִ־ (Introduces a comparison) · cy na (Introduces a comparison) · uz qaraganda (Introduces a comparison) · sh него (Introduces a comparison) · kk гөрі (Introduces a comparison) · ca que (Introduces a comparison) · is en (Introduces a comparison) · ur ... سے (Introduces a comparison) · sq se (Introduces a comparison) · tg аз (Introduces a comparison) · te కంటె (Introduces a comparison) · tl kumpara (Introduces a comparison) · ast que (Introduces a comparison) · hu -nál (Introduces a comparison) · yi איידער (Introduces a comparison) · ko ...보다 (Introduces a comparison) · sl kot (Introduces a comparison) · ky -дан көрө (Introduces a comparison) · ms daripada (Introduces a comparison) · tk görä (Introduces a comparison) · sw kuliko (Introduces a comparison) · uz koʻra (Introduces a comparison) · it che (Introduces a comparison) · kk ға қарағанда (Introduces a comparison) · sk než (Introduces a comparison) · eo ol (Introduces a comparison) · kw es (Introduces a comparison) · vi hơn (Introduces a comparison) · lv nekā (Introduces a comparison) · nl dan (Introduces a comparison) · ar مِن (Introduces a comparison) · da end (Introduces a comparison) · orv нежели (Introduces a comparison) · he מֵאֲשֶׁר (Introduces a comparison) · gl que (Introduces a comparison) · cim dan (Introduces a comparison) · gl que non (Introduces a comparison) · az -daldi (Introduces a comparison) · tr -den (Introduces a comparison) · ka ვიდრე (Introduces a comparison) · cmn 比 (Introduces a comparison) · nn enn (Introduces a comparison) · km ជាង (Introduces a comparison) · ro decât (Introduces a comparison) · ky -га караганда (Introduces a comparison) · pl aniżeli (Introduces a comparison) · zdj na (Introduces a comparison) · pt que (Introduces a comparison) · sv än (Introduces a comparison) · et kui (Introduces a comparison) · ro ca (Introduces a comparison) · fi kuin (Introduces a comparison) · bg не́ли (Introduces a comparison) · cu некъли (Introduces a comparison) · be за (Introduces a comparison) · sco nor (Introduces a comparison) · ja ...より (Introduces a comparison) · az -dalay (Introduces a comparison) · ga ná (Introduces a comparison) · th กว่า (Introduces a comparison) · he מִמַּה שֶּׁ־ (Introduces a comparison) · mk од (Introduces a comparison) · gl ca (Introduces a comparison) · cu негъли (Introduces a comparison) · yi פֿון (Introduces a comparison) · tr göre (Introduces a comparison) · lt nei (Introduces a comparison) · uz nisbatan (Introduces a comparison) · sh nego (Introduces a comparison) · tl kaysa (Introduces a comparison) · grc ἤπερ (Introduces a comparison) · cu нежели (Introduces a comparison) · pl niż (Introduces a comparison) · io kam (Introduces a comparison) · vec de (Introduces a comparison) · eu baino (Introduces a comparison) · it di (Introduces a comparison) · orv чѣмъ (Introduces a comparison) · uk ніж (Introduces a comparison) · be ніж (Introduces a comparison) · got 𐌸𐌰𐌿 (Introduces a comparison) · pl od (Introduces a comparison) · hu mint (Introduces a comparison) · sk ako (Introduces a comparison) · vo ka (Introduces a comparison) · nds denn (Introduces a comparison) · bg от (Introduces a comparison) · hi की अपेक्षा (Introduces a comparison) · fa از (Introduces a comparison) · bg не́жели (Introduces a comparison) · gl ca non (Introduces a comparison) · bn চেয়ে (Introduces a comparison) · bo ལས (Introduces a comparison) · pt do que (Introduces a comparison) · el από (Introduces a comparison) · ru не́жели (Introduces a comparison) · ru чем (Introduces a comparison) · tr -dan (Introduces a comparison) · yi פֿאַר (Introduces a comparison) · hy քան (Introduces a comparison) · be чым (Introduces a comparison) · cs než (Introduces a comparison) · tl sa (Introduces a comparison) · hi ... से (Introduces a comparison) · be як (Introduces a comparison) · de als (Introduces a comparison) · fr que (Introduces a comparison) · oc que (Introduces a comparison) · uk як (Introduces a comparison) · se go (Introduces a comparison) · yi ווי (Introduces a comparison) · lo ກ່ວາ (Introduces a comparison) · uk за (Introduces a comparison)

than en · ADV

Pronunciation

• [ðn̩] (unstressed)
• thən (unstressed)
• (US, unstressed) audio
• thăn stressed form
• thĕn stressed form
• /ðɛn/ stressed form
• /ðən/ (unstressed)
• (US, stressed) audio
• /ðæn/ stressed form

Etymology

From Middle English than, thanne (“than; then”), from Old English þanne, a variant of þonne (“then; when; than”), from Proto-West Germanic *þannē, an alteration of *þan (“then; than”), from Proto-Germanic *þan (“then; than”), from earlier *þam, from Proto-Indo-European *tóm, accusative masculine of *só (“that”, demonstrative pronoun). Cognate with Dutch dan (“then; than”), German denn (“for; so”), German dann (“then”). Doublet of then.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable, qualifier:now chiefly dialectal or a misspelling) At that time; then.

Forms

than en · CCONJ

Pronunciation

• [ðn̩] (unstressed)
• thən (unstressed)
• (US, unstressed) audio
• thăn stressed form
• thĕn stressed form
• /ðɛn/ stressed form
• /ðən/ (unstressed)
• (US, stressed) audio
• /ðæn/ stressed form

Etymology

From Middle English than, thanne (“than; then”), from Old English þanne, a variant of þonne (“then; when; than”), from Proto-West Germanic *þannē, an alteration of *þan (“then; than”), from Proto-Germanic *þan (“then; than”), from earlier *þam, from Proto-Indo-European *tóm, accusative masculine of *só (“that”, demonstrative pronoun). Cognate with Dutch dan (“then; than”), German denn (“for; so”), German dann (“then”). Doublet of then.

Meanings

1. Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison.
   • City dwellers have a higher cancer rate than do countrymen. Apparently, they drink more than is good for 'em.
   • A lot bigger than I ever believe could be possible.
   • she's taller than I am; she found his advice more witty than helpful; we have less work today than we had yesterday; We had no (other) choice than to return home; I love you more than (what) she does, but less than he, or than I do your sisters.
   • The artist worried more than was necessary: there were a lot of people at the exhibition, more than came last year.
   • Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. The machine gun is so much more lethal than the bow and arrow that comparisons are meaningless. 2013 July 20, “Old Soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
   • Answer me if you can, any other way, than because the Scriptures, which are infallible, Say so. 1665, Edward Stillingfleet, William Laud, Thomas Carwell, A Rational Account of the Grounds of Protestant Religion:
   • Profits were higher than forecast.
2. (dialectal, obsolete, used with for, usually) Because; for.
   • You shall also take the fine earth or mould which is found in the hollow of old Willow trees, rising from the root almost to the middle of the Tree, at least so far as the tree is hollow, for than this, there is no earth or mould finer or richer. 1668, William Lawson, A Way to Get Wealth:
   • If thou say yes, then puttest thou on Christ (that is, the wisdome of God, the Father) unkunning, unpower, or euil will: for than he could not make his rule so good as an other did his. 1854, Reformation series

Forms