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:
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
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 models differ from large language models such as those developed by OpenAI and Anthropic, which do not train on physical data.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
As for the chaos, Tuchel begged to differ.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
In general, if one compares a set of neighboring paths, the phases or positions in the cycle will differ greatly.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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 Australian approach differs from that of its fellow middle powers.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
A single venom can contain around 100 toxin proteins belonging to multiple protein families, and venom composition differs from one snake species to another.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
Because language is evolving rapidly, and because different people have different preferences, always adopt the language individuals use about themselves, even if it differs from what’s here.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
He noted the statement differed from the allegations laid out in the lawsuit.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Estimates from randomized trials have differed sharply, with some studies suggesting that 30-50% of breast cancers detected through screening could fall into this category.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 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
When those who lived with the cat were involved, the results differed drastically.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
I cited many occasions when the ANC and the CP had differed on policy and the ANC had prevailed, but this did not seem to impress them.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Safety issues are often subjective, and there are differing industry views of the 737 MAX software glitch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 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
With 20 countries, there are often differing opinions and factions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Cope gave differing measurements of the vertebra at various times, making it unclear quite how large it actually was.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
From those nuclear areas, hunter-gatherers of some neighboring areas learned food production, and peoples of other neighboring areas were replaced by invading food producers from the nuclear areas—again at widely differing times.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
