difference

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable) The quality of being different.
2. (countable) A characteristic of something that makes it different from something else.
3. (countable) A disagreement or argument.
4. (countable, uncountable) Significant change in or effect on a situation or state.
5. (countable) The result of a subtraction; sometimes the absolute value of this result.
6. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Choice; preference.
7. (countable, uncountable) An addition to a coat of arms to distinguish two people's bearings which would otherwise be the same. See augmentation and cadency.
8. (countable, uncountable) The quality or attribute which is added to those of the genus to constitute a species; a differentia.
9. (countable, uncountable) A Boolean operation which is true when the two input variables are different but is otherwise false; the XOR operation ( scriptstyle A◌̅B+◌̅AB).
10. (countable, relational, uncountable) The set of elements that are in one set but not another ( scriptstyle A◌̅B).

Verb

To distinguish or differentiate.

Opposite of

identity, sameness

Synonyms

distinction

dissimilarity

disparity

diversity

discrepancy

disagreement

variation

variance

remainder

change

divergence

gap

deviation

contrast

inconsistency

unlikeness

separation

distinguish

alteration

odds

variety

conflict

discrimination

separate

balance

dispute

inequality

interval

division

discord

divergency

opposition

estrangement

difference of opinion

departure

unlikeliness

dissidence

uniqueness

dissension

otherness

contrariety

margin

contradistinction

contention

differentness

dissent

differentiation

residual

differential

different

Translations

différence

diferencia

Unterschied

differenza

Differenz

diferença

verschil

διαφορά

fark

diferència

Verschiedenheit

onderscheid

divergence

Abweichung

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈdɪf(ə)ɹəns/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: difference

In summary

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.

Sentences

The difference in housing costs from city to city is especially important .

The difference is that here the " thin film " is a thin layer of air .

This implies a difference between common people and the elite .