differential

[ dif-uh-ren-shuh l ]

/ ˌdɪf əˈrɛn ʃəl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR differential ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or relating to difference or diversity.

constituting a difference; distinguishing; distinctive: a differential feature.

exhibiting or depending upon a difference or distinction.

Physics, Machinery. pertaining to or involving the difference of two or more motions, forces, etc.

Mathematics. pertaining to or involving a derivative or derivatives.

noun

a difference or the amount of difference, as in rate, cost, quantity, degree, or quality, between things that are comparable.

Also called differential gear. Machinery. an epicyclic train of gears designed to permit two or more shafts to rotate at different speeds, as a set of gears in an automobile permitting the rear wheels to be driven at different speeds when the car is turning.

Mathematics.

a function of two variables that is obtained from a given function, y = f(x), and that expresses the approximate increment in the given function as the derivative of the function times the increment in the independent variable, written as dy = f′(x)dx.
any generalization of this function to higher dimensions.

Commerce.

the difference involved in a differential rate.
differential rate.

Physics. the quantitative difference between two or more forces, motions, etc.: a pressure differential.

Nearby words

Origin of differential

1640–50; < Medieval Latin differentiālis, equivalent to differenti(a) difference + ālis -al¹

Related formsdif·fer·en·tial·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for differential

That differential accounted for about 60 percent of the downward revision.
How Obamacare Helped Crash the Economy|Daniel Gross|June 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He turned his thesis into the book Geometric Perturbation Theory in Physics on the new developments in differential geometry.
This is What Happens When You Teach Machines the Power of Natural Selection|James Barrat|February 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For smaller volumes, Kaijser said, the differential between wood and PVC is about 10 percent.
Wood Cards Are a Green Alternative to the Classic Plastic Gift Card|Daniel Gross|November 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Natural selection is the differential survival of replicators in gene pools.
Rediscovering Richard Dawkins: An Interview|J.P. O’Malley|September 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST

This is specious quantification, whether or not differential equations have been incompetently applied.
Barbara Fredrickson’s Bestselling ‘Positivity’ Is Trashed by a New Study|Will Wilkinson|August 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Such men seem to forget the great lesson that the differential calculus has taught us.
Religion And Health|James J. Walsh
It is as if a differential quotient should be conscious and treat itself as an adequate substitute for a traced-out curve.
Essays in Radical Empiricism|William James
It is clear from this that all so-called elementary (differential) laws involve a relation to the whole.
Popular scientific lectures|Ernst Mach
To reduce the strains arising from firing, the arm is fitted with what is known as the "differential recoil."
Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War|Frederick A. Talbot
He improved the differential calculus, solved the isoperimetrical problem and discovered the properties of the logarithmic spiral.
The Life of the Spider|J. Henri Fabre

British Dictionary definitions for differential

differential

/ (ˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃəl) /

adjective

of, relating to, or using a difference

constituting a difference; distinguishing

maths of, containing, or involving one or more derivatives or differentials

physics engineering relating to, operating on, or based on the difference between two effects, motions, forces, etcdifferential amplifier

noun

a factor that differentiates between two comparable things

maths

an increment in a given function, expressed as the product of the derivative of that function and the corresponding increment in the independent variable
an increment in a given function of two or more variables, f(x 1, x 2, … x n), expressed as the sum of the products of each partial derivative and the increment in the corresponding variable

an epicyclic gear train that permits two shafts to rotate at different speeds while being driven by a third shaftSee also differential gear

mainly British the difference between rates of pay for different types of labour, esp when forming a pay structure within an industry

(in commerce) a difference in rates, esp between comparable labour services or transportation routes

Derived Formsdifferentially, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for differential