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Difference

//ˈdɪf(ə)ɹəns// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The quality of being different. uncountable

    "You need to learn to be more tolerant of difference."

  2. 2
    the quality of being unlike or dissimilar wordnet
  3. 3
    A characteristic of something that makes it different from something else. countable

    "There are three differences between these two pictures."

  4. 4
    a disagreement or argument about something important wordnet
  5. 5
    A disagreement or argument. countable

    "We have our little differences, but we are firm friends."

Show 10 more definitions
  1. 6
    a variation that deviates from the standard or norm wordnet
  2. 7
    Significant change in or effect on a situation or state. countable, uncountable

    "It just won't make much difference to me."

  3. 8
    the number that remains after subtraction; the number that when added to the subtrahend gives the minuend wordnet
  4. 9
    The result of a subtraction; sometimes the absolute value of this result. countable

    "The difference between 3 and 21 is 18."

  5. 10
    a significant change wordnet
  6. 11
    Choice; preference. countable, obsolete, uncountable

    "That now be chooseth with vile difference To be a beast, and lack intelligence."

  7. 12
    An addition to a coat of arms to distinguish two people's bearings which would otherwise be the same. See augmentation and cadency. countable, uncountable
  8. 13
    The quality or attribute which is added to those of the genus to constitute a species; a differentia. countable, uncountable
  9. 14
    A Boolean operation which is true when the two input variables are different but is otherwise false; the XOR operation ( scriptstyle A◌̅B+◌̅AB). countable, uncountable
  10. 15
    The set of elements that are in one set but not another ( scriptstyle A◌̅B). countable, relational, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To distinguish or differentiate. obsolete, transitive

    "This simple spectation of the lungs is differenced from that which concomitates a pleurisy."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English difference, from Old French difference, from Latin differentia (“difference”), from differēns (“different”), present participle of differre. Doublet of differentia. Morphologically differ + -ence.

Etymology 2

From Middle English difference, from Old French difference, from Latin differentia (“difference”), from differēns (“different”), present participle of differre. Doublet of differentia. Morphologically differ + -ence.

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