Than Meaning
/ðæn/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
conjUsed in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison.
conjBecause; for.
Sentence Examples
You're in better shape than I am.
Their communication may be much more complex than we thought.
The pain was almost more than he could bear.
CEFR Practice Quiz
He earns more money every month at work ____ his brother does.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He is much taller ____ his older brother, even though he is only fifteen years old this entire year today.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"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:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
He earns more money every month at work ____ his brother does.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He is much taller ____ his older brother, even though he is only fifteen years old this entire year today.