than

Meaning

Conj

1. Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison.
2. (dialectal, obsolete, usually) Because; for.

Prep

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.

Adv

At that time; then.

Synonyms

from

about

that

to

more than

before

but

as

compared to

save

since

still

unless

up to

when

where

rather than

apart from

except

in comparison with

more

of

other

out of

rather

Translations

als

que

dan

que

di

che

que

que

do que

quam

παρά

από

plus

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ðæn/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: than

Inherited from Old English: þanne

Cognate with Dutch: dan

Cognate with German: denn

Cognate with German: dann

In summary

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

Sentences

It is a register of the title rather than a register of deeds .

It was no more exciting than an overturned carriage or a tree blown across the road .

It was better than the scent of the hookahs .

Istanbul hosts more conferences than all Turkish other cities combined .

It is generally less error-prone than using the built-in " switch to " command .

It includes crocodiles and all archosaurs more closely related to crocodiles than to birds .