differential

American  

[dif-uh-ren-shuhl] / ˌdɪf əˈrɛn ʃəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to difference or diversity.

2. constituting a difference; distinguishing; distinctive.

   a differential feature.

3. exhibiting or depending upon a difference or distinction.

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

5. Mathematics. pertaining to or involving a derivative or derivatives.

---

noun

• differentials
  plural

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

2. 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.

3. Mathematics.

   1. 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.

   2. any generalization of this function to higher dimensions.

4. Commerce.

   1. the difference involved in a differential rate.

   2. differential rate.

5. Physics. the quantitative difference between two or more forces, motions, etc..

   a pressure differential.

differential British  

/ ˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or using a difference

2. constituting a difference; distinguishing

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

4. physics engineering relating to, operating on, or based on the difference between two effects, motions, forces, etc

   differential amplifier

---

noun

1. a factor that differentiates between two comparable things

2. maths

   1. an increment in a given function, expressed as the product of the derivative of that function and the corresponding increment in the independent variable

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

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

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

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

differential Scientific  

/ dĭf′ə-rĕn′shəl /

1. An infinitesimal increment in a variable.

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• differentially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• differentials
  plural

Etymology

Origin of differential

1640–50; < Medieval Latin differentiālis, equivalent to differenti ( a ) difference + ālis -al ¹

Explanation

Things that show a difference or act in different ways can be described as differential. You and your sister may get differential benefits from eating a vegetarian diet. You're most likely to come across the adjective differential in scholarly or scientific writing — it's really just a more formal way to say "different" or "differing." Sociological studies or articles often describe differential circumstances or outcomes, like the differential effects on various children of being raised with one parent. The Latin differentia is at the root of differential — it means "diversity or difference," and it comes from differre, "to set apart."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

differential differentials

After posting a substantial negative goal differential in its first four seasons, Angel City’s +16 mark this year in best in the league.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

“The Fed is also expected to embark on rate hikes next year, making it unlikely that the U.S.-Japan interest-rate differential will narrow dramatically.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

As long as that differential is positive, it is a bullish sign for the stock market.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

That was the main differential, according to him, that distinguished these two cases.

From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026

One differential equation governs all of the uncountable numbers of equation-laws.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

The euro and sterling both hit eight-week lows of $1.1407 and $1.3287, respectively, as rate differentials shifted in the dollar’s favor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

TOKYO—The yen is under renewed pressure as fresh expectations of Federal Reserve monetary tightening dim the prospects of U.S.-Japan interest-rate differentials narrowing in the currency’s favor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Interest-rate differentials, inflation trends and trade balances are usually thought of as drivers of foreign-exchange movement — but, increasingly, the drivers in the currency market are companies looking to expand their offerings in artificial intelligence.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

Interest-rate differentials are usually the driver of forex rates because capital is attracted by higher returns.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

Nevertheless, underneath all the mathematics, Leibniz’s differentials still had the same forbidden 0/0 nature that plagued Newton’s fluxions.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• characteristic
• contrast
• difference
• differentiation
• discrepancy
• discrimination
• divergence
• division
• judgment
• nicety
• perception
• quality
• sensitivity
• separation