differential

[ dif-uh-ren-shuhl ]

/ ˌdɪf əˈrɛn ʃəl /

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See synonyms for: differential / differentials 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.

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Origin of differential

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

OTHER WORDS FROM differential

dif·fer·en·tial·ly, adverb

Words nearby differential

different, different as night and day, differentia, differentiable, differentiable manifold, differential, differential analyzer, differential association, differential calculus, differential coefficient, differential compaction

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use differential in a sentence

This compares with just three touchdowns for Watson and accounts for the entire differential in the two QBs’ career TD totals.
Scheme (And Sacks) Might Be All That Separate Patrick Mahomes And Deshaun Watson|Josh Hermsmeyer|September 10, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Graphing functions include basic function graphing, parametric graphing, polar graphing, sequence graphing, 3-D graphing, and differential-equation graphing.
The best graphing calculators for students|PopSci Commerce Team|September 4, 2020|Popular-Science
They are 3 points behind Watford, and the two teams have the same goal differential.
What To Watch For On The English Premier League’s Final Match Day|Chadwick Matlin (chadwick.matlin@fivethirtyeight.com)|July 24, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Leicester won 12 of its first 16 matches and even had a better goal differential than the pace-setting Reds over that same stretch.
Leicester City Seemed Like A Sure Thing For The Champions League. Not Anymore.|Terrence Doyle|July 15, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

Since the law’s passage, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and federal courts have come to understand a broader definition of sex discrimination, covering motherhood, differential pension programs, pregnancy and sexual harassment.
Supreme Court Expands Workplace Equality To LGBTQ Employees, But Questions Remain|LGBTQ-Editor|June 17, 2020|No Straight News
He majored in mathematical physics, studying mind-bending theories of quantum mechanics and partial differential equations.
How the NSA Became a Killing Machine|Shane Harris|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tiebreakers are goal differential, greatest number of goals scored, and, further down, the drawing of lots.
USA vs. Germany World Cup Primer: Everything You Need to Know About the Epic Showdown|Marlow Stern|June 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then, the U.S. and Portugal would be tied in points, goal differential, and goals scored.
USA vs. Germany World Cup Primer: Everything You Need to Know About the Epic Showdown|Marlow Stern|June 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That differential accounted for about 60 percent of the downward revision.
How Obamacare Helped Crash the Economy|Daniel Gross|June 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The efforts are proceeding slowly and tentatively because the price differential of the fuel is only one factor to consider.
Diesel Trains May Soon Use Natural Gas Instead|The Daily Beast|May 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A record is generally kept of the number of nucleated red cells seen during a differential count of leukocytes.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The differential count is best made upon a film stained with Wright's, Jenner's, or Ehrlich's stain.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Jenner's stain, which gives a somewhat similar picture, is preferred by many for differential counting of leukocytes.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The principal source of the irregularities was found in the concealed upper differential wheel of the Grubb slow motion.
Photographs of Nebul and Clusters|James Edward Keeler
You,” said I. “You drive a nail as if it were an abstruse problem in differential calculus.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton

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 forms of differential

differentially, 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

Scientific definitions for differential

differential

[ dĭf′ə-rĕn′shəl ]

An infinitesimal increment in a variable.

The product of the derivative of a function of one variable and the increment of the independent variable.

differential

Origin of differential

OTHER WORDS FROM differential

Words nearby differential

Words related to differential

How to use differential in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for differential

Derived forms of differential

Scientific definitions for differential