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:
Military executions differ from those carried out at the state level.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Tran said passing the act would severely limit the ability of U.S. citizens to vote, especially women whose maiden names may differ from married names on government paperwork.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
As a result, two preparations made from the same plant material may differ considerably in composition and biological effects.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
The final numbers could differ, but the early read suggests that the VMAs can still draw a crowd.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The occupation could have been even more rapid than that apparent spread of dates from 40,000 to 30,000 years ago, since the various dates hardly differ within the experimental error of the radiocarbon method.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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
Mr. Hyden reminds us that a band’s reputation differs from generation to generation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 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
The approach also differs from some "black box" machine learning systems because it is supervised.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
Perhaps it is in this respect that language differs most sharply from other biologic systems for communication.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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
The 139 studies differed in how they were designed; some involved relatively small groups of participants, and treatment durations varied considerably.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
Italy's far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said that although their "backgrounds and perspectives differed, that never prevented me from acknowledging her significance and her role in our nation's public life".
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
It was interesting, Jinny thought, as she walked along and stared at Ess’s line, how the shoes differed as much as Ess and Loo did.
From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder
The pre-match gesture also highlighted the differing approaches among players and clubs to the Ceuta campaign.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
When speak to people and businesses on Mere Street, there was agreement that pigeons were causing mess, but there were differing views on how to tackle the issue.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
In a recent paper, economists Doug Elmendorf, Karen Dynan and Louise Sheiner examined scenarios in which AI sustainably boosted annual productivity growth by a half to a full percentage point, with differing impacts on employment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Sure enough, Heyward and Freeman both headed south that day — still driving separately because of their differing morning routines.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Living in the city, I couldn’t imagine a differing landscape.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Definitions 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.
