differ
Americanverb (used without object)
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differs,
present (3rd person singular)
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differed,
past participle, past
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differing
present participle
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to be unlike, dissimilar, or distinct in nature or qualities (often followed byfrom ).
The two writers differ greatly in their perceptions of the world. Each writer's style differs from that of another.
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to disagree in opinion, belief, etc.; be at variance; disagree (often followed by with orfrom ).
His business partner always differs with him.
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Obsolete. to dispute; quarrel.
verb
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(often foll by from) to be dissimilar in quality, nature, or degree (to); vary (from)
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to be at variance (with); disagree (with)
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dialect to quarrel or dispute
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to end an argument amicably while maintaining differences of opinion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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differsimple
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differssimple
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have differedperfect
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has differedperfect
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am differingprogressive
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are differingprogressive
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is differingprogressive
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have been differingperfect progressive
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has been differingperfect progressive
Past
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differedsimple
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had differedperfect
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was differingprogressive
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were differingprogressive
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had been differingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of differ
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English differren “to distinguish,” from Middle French differer “to put off, distinguish,” Latin differre “to bear apart, scatter, be different,” from dif- dif- + ferre “to bear, bring, carry”
Explanation
To differ is to be different, or to vary. Your list of favorite movies might differ from your sister's, especially if you like romantic comedies and she likes action films. Gas prices differ from state to state, and sometimes even from one side of the street to the other. Opinions on politics can often differ within a single family, and sometimes food preferences differ so much that no one can decide where to eat lunch. The verb differ can mean simply "be unlike," but it can also mean "clash" or "dissent." The Latin root, differre, combines dis, "away from," with ferre, "carry."
Vocabulary lists containing differ
"Making Faces"
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Shut Up, This Is Serious
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Key aspects of the plan differ from the Trump administration’s public pronouncements.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
"We have shared concerns, even if our ways of protesting differ," she said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Products sold outside regulated medical channels may differ from the genuine experimental medication in their ingredients, purity, and dosage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
Because crops take months to reach harvest, and growing seasons differ by region and by crop, El Niño’s supply impact typically occurs with a lag of about 16 months, according to Ibrahim.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
“How does a girl differ from a boy, Yamma?”
From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat
This differs from the Arctic, where an ocean basin is enclosed by surrounding land.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
This is where Goldie’s approach differs most from traditional advice that relies on the output from financial-planning software.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
LRD differs from luxury tax payrolls, which are based on the average annual value of every player contract on the 40-man roster.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
This differs from Chelsea's case earlier this year, as the Stamford Bridge club self-reported and admitted guilt.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
His account differs from both mine and Richard’s.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
The researchers also investigated whether coffee consumption differed across groups of adults based on their daily routines and overall diet quality.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
Fusionists were liberals, but their liberalism differed from that of the progressives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
It’s tough to say why men and women differed based on the data and more research could be needed, Qi said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
He noted the statement differed from the allegations laid out in the lawsuit.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
I don’t know, maybe your experience differed from mine.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Airlines face a patchwork of often differing advisories, including from regulators, intelligence agencies and private-security consultants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
The two candidates — incumbent Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman — have staked out differing positions about how the Los Angeles Police Department has performed under McDonnell.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The comeback left both the Rams and the Eagles with identical 2-2 records, but the result reflected differing realities for both teams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, ap Iorweth acknowledged the differing contexts.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Since the unveiling of the bill, there had been phone calls and mail and huge editorials about invasion of privacy and people’s differing definitions of what a “threat” to society actually was.
From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
