- rather
- alternately
- alternative
- as a substitute
- in lieu
- in place of
- in preference
- on behalf of
- on second thought
- preferably
Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
On this page you’ll find 11 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to rather than, such as: rather, alternately, alternative, as a substitute, in lieu, and in place of.
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
OCTOBER 26, 1985
WORDS RELATED TO RATHER THAN
- alternately
- alternative
- as a substitute
- in lieu
- in place of
- in preference
- on behalf of
- on second thought
- preferably
- rather
- rather than
Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
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Synonyms for Rather than. 2016. Accessed April 13, 2023. https://thesaurus.plus/synonyms/rather_than.
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#1
other than / rather than
1. use fuel other than gasoline
2. use diesel rather than gasoline
Does 1 make sense? If it does, what does it really mean?
3. the presence of elements other than iron
4. the presence of elements rather than iron
Do they mean the same thing?
5. facebook is the most hyped thing this year other than the iPhone
6. facebook is the most hyped thing this year rather than the iPhone.
Would there be any difference between the two?
Many many thanks in advance.
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#2
«Other than» means except while «rather than» means instead of.
For example, these two are very different.
facebook is the most hyped thing this year other than the iPhone
This means that facebooks is the second most hyped-up thing this year (while the iPhone is the first).
facebook is the most hyped thing this year rather than the iPhone.
This means that facebooks is the most hyped-up thing this year instead of the iPhone.
I hope this helps.
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#3
Thank you very much.
«Other than» means except
Yes. But other than has another meaning: besides/in addition to, so I still feel puzzled with Sentence1, Sentence3. Do they can only be understood in a certain context? Do they have double meanings without a context?
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#4
According to dictionary.com
other than
prep. With the exception of; except for; besides: Other than one sister, she has no close relatives.
adverbin another and different manner; «very soon you will know differently»; «she thought otherwise»; «there is no way out other than the fire escape»; [syn: differently]
rather than
conj. And not: «Gibson guitars—with their carved tops and necks that are fitted and glued to the body, rather than bolted on—are expensive to make» (Joshua Rosenbaum).
prep. Instead of: «diseases in which the immune system plays the villain rather than the protector» (Sandra Blakeslee).
If you wish to say «Use fuel but not gasoline», I would suggest «rather than«.
If you wish to say «the presence of elements besides iron», I would suggest «other than«.
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#5
To make things clear, what’s your opinion about the other than in «use fuel other than gasoline» ? Do you think it is used correctly? I think other than may possibly mean including,for we can’t say …use fuel except gasoline, considering gasoline is a kind of fuel.
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#6
To make things clear, what’s your opinion about the other than in «use fuel other than gasoline» ? Do you think it is used correctly? I think other than may possibly mean including,for we can’t say …use fuel except gasoline, considering gasoline is a kind of fuel.
Aha! This is starting to sound like a trick question
«Use fuels other than gasoline» or «Use other fuels (rather) than gasoline» are probably better………
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#7
1. use fuel other than gasoline
2. use diesel rather than gasoline
Does 1 make sense? If it does, what does it really mean?3. the presence of elements other than iron
4. the presence of elements rather than iron
Do they mean the same thing?5. facebook is the most hyped thing this year other than the iPhone
6. facebook is the most hyped thing this year rather than the iPhone.
Would there be any difference between the two?
«Other than» = «but not». «Other» excludes part.
«Rather than» = «(and) not». «Rather» opposes exclusively.
In other words, the difference is in an underlying assumption. The underlying assumptions in your sentences are:
1. Gasoline
is
a fuel.
2. Gasoline is
not
diesel.
3. Iron
is
an (atomic or chemical) element.
4. «Elements» refers to something that iron is
not
. Sentence 4 does not make sense if «elements» refers to atomic or chemical elements.
5. The iPhone
is
a thing. It is possibly a hyped thing.
6. The iPhone is
not
the most hyped thing this year.
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#8
«Other than» means «of a kind, type, or class that is different from the item that is named».
If you use a fuel other than gasoline, you may use kerosene, or wood, or coal, or solar energy.
If I asked you to name a city in Japan other than Tokyo, you could name Osaka, or Kyoto, or Yokahama.
If you were told that the price for a hotel applied in months other than July and August, you would be able to stay for the price given in September, or January, or May.
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#9
Thank you very much.
Yes. But other than has another meaning: besides/in addition to, so I still feel puzzled with Sentence1, Sentence3. Do they can only be understood in a certain context? Do they have double meanings without a context?
“Other than” can usually be replaced with “except for”, but sometimes “in addition to” fits as well. “Other than” never distinguishes between these two meanings. I would not say it has a double meaning, but it has a more general meaning than “except for” or “in addition to”. It does, however, always distinguish itself from “rather than”.
“Besides” is also general in meaning but happens to be used more often in places where “in addition to” would fit.
Examples:
- Sign on gas cap: “Use fuel other than gasoline.” [most probably not “in addition to”]
- “These cars allow you to use fuel other than gasoline.” [probably “in addition to”]
- “The presence of elements other than iron has been detected on some asteroids.” [probably “in addition to”]
- “Facebook is the most hyped thing this year other than the iPhone.” [possibly “in addition to”, but does it matter?]
The difference between “other than” and “rather than” is similar to the difference between restrictive and non-restrictive modifiers. “Other than” is restrictive; “rather than” is non-restrictive.
For example, in (1) we restrict “fuel” with “other than gasoline”: if we didn’t say “other than gasoline”, “fuel” would include gasoline because gasoline is a fuel. But in (2) “rather than gasoline” does not restrict “diesel” because diesel and gasoline are mutually exclusive.
1. “use fuel other than gasoline” = “use fuel that is not gasoline” [does not = “use fuel”, because gasoline is a fuel and is only excluded if we say so]
2. “use diesel rather than gasoline” = “use diesel, which is not gasoline” [= “use diesel” because gasoline is not diesel and so is automatically excluded]
3. “the presence of elements other than iron” = “the presence of elements that are not iron” [does not = “the presence of elements”, because iron is an element]
4. “the presence of elements rather than iron” [= “the presence of elements”. In this speaker’s mind, iron is not an element]
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#11
After reading your comments I want to know if I got it right.
I read in an English learning text «I think I’ll have a cold drink other than coffee». Is it correct to assume they made a mistake and should have used «rather than», unless they are talking about iced coffee?
- I think I’ll have a cold drink other than coffee.(implying that it’s iced coffee)
- I think I’ll have a cold drink rather than coffee. (implying that it’s hot)
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#12
After reading your comments I want to know if I got it right.
I read in an English learning text «I think I’ll have a cold drink other than coffee». Is it correct to assume they made a mistake and should have used «rather than», unless they are talking about iced coffee?
- I think I’ll have a cold drink other than coffee.(implying that it’s iced coffee)
- I think I’ll have a cold drink rather than coffee. (implying that it’s hot)
Exactly.
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#13
After reading your comments I want to know if I got it right.
I read in an English learning text «I think I’ll have a cold drink other than coffee». Is it correct to assume they made a mistake and should have used «rather than», unless they are talking about iced coffee?
- I think I’ll have a cold drink other than coffee.(implying that it’s iced coffee)
- I think I’ll have a cold drink rather than coffee. (implying that it’s hot)
Sort of.
«I want a cold drink other than coffee» could mean that the speaker wants a drink that is not coffee and the speaker wants that drink cold. It is not about whether coffee is iced or not, but it assumes coffee is a drink.
«I want a cold drink, rather than coffee» means the speaker wants a cold drink as opposed to (or instead of) coffee. It is not about the temperature of coffee, but it does assume coffee is not a «cold drink». Sometimes «a cold drink» means a drink that is cold, but where I live, it can also be a synonym for «soft drink» or «fizzy drink».
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#14
Sort of.
«I want a cold drink other than coffee» could mean that the speaker wants a drink that is not coffee and the speaker wants that drink cold. It is not about whether coffee is iced or not, but it assumes coffee is a drink.
«I want a cold drink, rather than coffee» means the speaker wants a cold drink as opposed to (or instead of) coffee. It is not about the temperature of coffee, but it does assume coffee is not a «cold drink». Sometimes «a cold drink» means a drink that is cold, but where I live, it can also be a synonym for «soft drink» or «fizzy drink».
Thank you. I didn’t know it could be interpreted that way.
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#15
«Other than» means «of a kind, type, or class that is different from the item that is named».
Does «to be other than what we are» in the following context mean «to be different to what we are»?
Like Descartes, most of us begin these inquiries as thinkers, condemned by the terms of our subjectivity to maneuver in a world that appears to be other than what we are. Descartes accentuated this dichotomy by declaring that two substances were to be found in God’s universe; matter and spirit.
-Sam Harris’ The End of Faith
1 a bit, a little, fairly, kind of (informal) moderately, pretty (informal) quite, relatively, slightly, somewhat, sort of (informal) to some degree, to some extent
2 a good bit, noticeably, significantly, very
3 instead, more readily, more willingly, preferably, sooner
English Collins Dictionary — English synonyms & Thesaurus 
Collaborative Dictionary English Thesaurus
|
there is more room on the outside than on the inside |
q. |
This expression means it is better to let one’s emotions out, rather than bottled up inside. It is also often said when someone has gas. |
this is just something my grandmother would say in cajun french |
|
|
holistic |
adj. |
[med.] of or relating to the medical consideration of the whole person in the treatment of a disease, not only physically but also taking into account mental and social factors rather than just the symptoms |
Ex: That clinic offers a holistic medecine approach to treat both the body and the mind sometimes even using practises from eastern traditions such as meditation or acupuncture. |
|
|
glasshole |
n. |
a person who prefers to interact with his/her Google glasses rather than communicating with people in real life |
[Neologism] |
|
|
collaborative consumption |
n. |
a business model in which goods or services are shared, swapped, or rented over networks, rather than being owned by individuals |
Ex: Airbnb, the peer-to-peer accomodation marketplace |
|
|
! acqui-hire |
n. |
The acquisition of a startup primarily for the team and talent, rather than for the technology or product. |
||
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сommognition |
n. |
A theory that regards thinking as a form of internal communication rather than an entirely different operation |
[Psych.] |
|
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more holes than a Swiss cheese |
adj. |
a phrase to qualify something that has a lot of faults and problems. If an argument or a story has more holes than the distinctive gaps in the said Swiss cheese, it’s definitely got a lot of issues. |
Ex.: I didn’t enjoy his last movie at all; the plot had more holes than a Swiss cheese and the scenario was totally improbable. |
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|
action speaks louder than words |
exp. |
when you act it has more impact that when you speak only |
||
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bite off more than one can chew |
id. |
to attempt or take on a task that is way to big and beyond one’s capability |
I wonder if that craftsman will be able to fulfil the three commitments he took on at the same time; in my opinion he bites off more than he can chew! |
|
|
slumpy |
adj. |
undesirable, at much lower standards than expected |
synonym for «shitty» |
|
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you catch more flies with honey |
id. |
the carrot is more effective than the stick |
||
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dominant |
adj. |
a person with more power or authority than others |
Eg.: Your father is one of the dominant man in his section because he is boss. |
|
|
very newborn |
n. |
a baby that is less than 2 weeks old |
||
|
don’t give up the day job |
id. |
a humorous way of recommending someone not to pursue something at which they are unlikely to be good or successful and thus, to rather stick to what they can do best, namely, their job |
Ex.: Although she had poured her whole heart and soul into her singing at the karaoke, her somewhat cruel but nonetheless lucid friends told her: ‘don’t give up the day job!’ |
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Словосочетания
Автоматический перевод
нежели, вместо того чтобы, вместо того
Перевод по словам
rather — скорее, довольно, вернее, лучше, несколько, предпочтительнее, слегка, охотнее
than — чем, кроме, как, чтобы
Примеры
It was in semblance rather than in fact.
Это была больше видимость, чем реальный факт.
It exists in dreams rather than actuality.
Это существует скорее в мечтах, чем в реальности.
I chose to learn German rather than French.
Я выбрал для изучения немецкий язык, а не французский.
It exists in dreams rather than in actuality.
Это существует скорее в мечтах, чем в реальности.
Italians express coffee rather than filter it.
Итальянцы кофе отжимают, а не процеживают.
They obeyed him out of fear rather than respect.
Они подчинялись ему больше из страха, чем из уважения.
I have been a watchdog rather than a bloodhound.
Я был скорее сторожевым псом, чем ищейкой.
ещё 23 примера свернуть
Примеры, ожидающие перевода
The mood is sad rather than hopeful. 
…dueled with blades rather than guns…
The iron plates are riveted rather than welded.
She prefers to steam carrots rather than boil them.
Many movies for kids are animated rather than live-action.
I found his eccentricities amusing rather than irritating.
Cut the potato crosswise rather than lengthwise into thin slices.
Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.