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difference
[ dif-er-uhns, dif-ruhns ]
noun
- the state or relation of being different; dissimilarity:
There is a great difference between the two.
Synonyms: contrariety, contrast, divergence, inequality, imbalance, diversity, variation, inconsistency
Antonyms: agreement, similarity
- an instance or point of unlikeness or dissimilarity:
What accounts for the differences in their behavior?
- a significant change in or effect on a situation:
His tact makes a difference in the way people accept his suggestions.
- a distinguishing characteristic; distinctive quality, feature, etc.:
The difference in the two products is quality.
- the degree to which one person or thing differs from another.
- the act of distinguishing; discrimination; distinction.
- a disagreement in opinion.
- a dispute or quarrel.
- Also called fi·nite dis·tance [fahy, -nahyt , dis, -t, uh, ns]. Mathematics.
- the amount by which one quantity is greater or less than another.
- (of a function f ) an expression of the form f ( x + h ) − f ( x ).
- a differentia.
verb (used with object)
- to cause or constitute a difference in or between; make different.
- to perceive the difference in or between; discriminate.
difference
/ ˈdɪfrəns; ˈdɪfərəns /
noun
- the state or quality of being unlike
- a specific instance of being unlike
- a distinguishing mark or feature
- a significant change in a situation
the difference in her is amazing
- a disagreement or argument
he had a difference with his wife
- a degree of distinctness, as between two people or things
- the result of the subtraction of one number, quantity, etc, from another
- the single number that when added to the subtrahend gives the minuend; remainder
- logic another name for differentia
- maths of two sets
- the set of members of the first that are not members of the second A – B
- the set of members of one but not both of the given sets Often symbolizedA + B
- heraldry an addition to the arms of a family to represent a younger branch
- make a difference
- to have an effect
- to treat differently
- split the difference
- to settle a dispute by a compromise
- to divide a remainder equally
- with a differencewith some peculiarly distinguishing quality, good or bad
verb
- rare.to distinguish
- heraldry to add a charge to (arms) to differentiate a branch of a family
Word History and Origins
Origin of difference1
Idioms and Phrases
- split the difference,
- to compromise, especially to make equal concessions.
- to divide the remainder equally:
Let's take half of the cake and let the three of them split the difference.
More idioms and phrases containing difference
see make a difference ; split the difference . Also see under different .Synonym Study
Example Sentences
In an interview with Der Spiegel on Friday, Merkel was asked if there was a difference between Trump's first term and today.
Results showed an enormous difference -- more than 70 percentage points -- in the probability between these two groups that respondents would strongly agree that sports build character.
Bahder, whose expertise traditionally involves detecting lethal bronzing in palm trees, explained that the fundamental process of molecular testing is similar across different organisms, with the main difference being the DNA sequence.
The figures suggest that 17% of farms in England have a net worth - the difference between their assets and liabilities - of between £1m and £1.49m.
According to the Cook Report, as of Tuesday, Trump was at 49.94 percent, and Harris was at 48.26, a difference of a mere 1.68%.
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Related Words
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.
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