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.

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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

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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.

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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

Differential equations are the backbone of scientific modeling.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

"Decisions about fee limits are rightly for ministers and parliament. Differential fee levels would offer one possible way to incentivise high quality teaching," he said.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2025

Differential privacy requires that a machine learning model does not change much if one individual’s data is changed in the training dataset.

From Salon • Jun. 1, 2024

Differential equations are formulas that contain derivatives, which describe properties such as the rate of change in a physical system.

From Scientific American • Mar. 23, 2023

The lineup included courses like Differential Equations, a core part of the engineering curriculum, and higher-level math, such as Theory of Equations.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

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