than S1 W1 /ðən; strong ðæn/ conjunction, preposition
[Language: Old English; Origin: thanne, thænne]

1. used when comparing two things, people, situations etc:
Natalie was prettier than her sister.
You need that money more than I do.
There were more people there than I expected.
If it costs more than $60, I won’t buy it.
She had woken even earlier than usual.
Divorce is more common than it was a generation ago.

2. other than except for a particular person or thing:
We never go to church other than for funerals and weddings.
We know he lived in Fleet Road, but other than that we don’t know much about him.

3. would rather/would sooner ... than used to say that you prefer one thing to another:
I’d rather drive than go by train.
She said she’d rather die than live in the city.

4. no sooner/hardly had ... than used to say that one thing happens immediately after another thing:
No sooner had I got into the house than the phone rang.
Hardly had they reached Edinburgh than they were ordered to return to London.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

than
ðæn
See: less than , less than no time , more than

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲