difference

(dĭf'ər-əns, dĭf'rəns)
n.

1. The quality or condition of being unlike or dissimilar.
2. 1. An instance of disparity or unlikeness.
   2. A degree or amount by which things differ.
   3. A specific point or element that distinguishes one thing from another.
3. A noticeable change or effect: Exercise has made a difference in her health.
4. 1. A disagreement or controversy.
   2. A cause of a disagreement or controversy.
5. Discrimination in taste or choice; distinction.
6. Mathematics.
   1. The amount by which one quantity is greater or less than another.
   2. The amount that remains after one quantity is subtracted from another.
7. Archaic. A distinct mark or peculiarity.

tr.v., -enced, -enc·ing, -enc·es.
To distinguish or differentiate.

SYNONYMS   difference, dissimilarity, unlikeness, divergence, variation, distinction, discrepancy. These nouns refer to a lack of correspondence or agreement. Difference is the most general: differences in color and size; a difference of opinion. Dissimilarity is difference between things otherwise alike or comparable: a dissimilarity between the twins' personalities. Unlikeness usually implies greater and more obvious difference: unlikeness among their teaching styles. Divergence suggests an increasing difference: points of divergence between British and American English. Variation occurs between things of the same class or species; often it refers to modification of something original, prescribed, or typical: variations in temperature; a variation in shape. Distinction often means a difference in detail determinable only by close inspection: the distinction between "good" and "excellent." A discrepancy is a difference between things that should correspond or match: a discrepancy between his words and his actions.

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The process of subtracting successive terms in a series of equi-spaced observations. Used in numerical analysis and as a simple method for removing trends in time series. Suppose, for example, that y_t , the value at time t, is given (for t=1, 2, 3,...) by y_t=a + bt. Then, for each value of t>1, the first difference, Δy_t, is given by Δy_t=y_t-y_t-1}=(a+bt)-{a+b (t-1)}=b,which is no longer dependent on t. In the same way, further differences will remove higher polynomial dependencies on time. For example, the second difference, Δ²y_t (=Δy_t−Δy_t−1), will remove any quadratic dependence on time.

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noun

1. The condition of being unlike or dissimilar: discrepance, discrepancy, disparity, dissimilarity, dissimilitude, distinction, divarication, divergence, divergency, unlikeness. See same/different/compare.
2. A marked lack of correspondence or agreement: disagreement, discrepance, discrepancy, disparity, gap, incompatibility, incongruity, inconsistency. See agree/disagree.
3. The condition or fact of varying: variance, variation. See change/persist, same/different/compare.
4. A state of disagreement and disharmony: clash, conflict, confrontation, contention, difficulty, disaccord, discord, discordance, dissension, dissent, dissentience, dissidence, dissonance, faction, friction, inharmony, schism, strife, variance, war, warfare. See conflict/cooperation.

n

Definition: dissimilarity, distinctness
Antonyms: accord, agreement, alikeness, concurrence, conformity, likeness, sameness, similarity, uniformity

n

Definition: opposing views
Antonyms: agreement, assent, concurrence, consent

Difference exists only with reference to another; in the case of the social sciences, this may be patriarchy, ‘whiteness’, colonialism, feminism, ‘colour’, or postcolonialism, all of which may be defined by what they are not. Difference is produced, and its production can depend on the connections between spaces; in imperialism, trade, migration, or diasporas, for example. Geographies of difference illustrate not only the way difference is spatially expressed: at centres, peripheries, and borderlands, but also the way that the nature of the ‘centre’ is often most clearly seen from the margins.

IN BRIEF: The quality of being unlike or not the same.

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. — Mark Twain (1835-1910).

Tutor's tip: Students should show "deference" (respect, submission, yielding) to their teachers, even when they have a "difference" (disparity, being unlike) of opinion.

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In mathematical terms the result after subtracting one value from another; the difference may be negative or positive.

For a list of words related to difference, see:

• Quantities, Relationships, and Operations - difference: amount of inequality between two quantities; result obtained when one quantity is subtracted from another

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See words rhyming with "difference."

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - forskellighed, divergens, meningsforskel, stridspunkt, bitegn
v. tr. - indføre bitegn i slægtsvåben

idioms:

• difference of opinion    meningsforskel
• make a difference    gøre en forskel
• make no difference    være uden betydning
• with a difference    speciel, anderledes

Nederlands (Dutch)
verschil, kenmerk, meningsverschil

Français (French)
n. - différence, divergence, différend, écart
v. tr. - changer qch/qn

idioms:

• difference of opinion    différence/divergence d'opinion
• make a difference    faire la différence, changer (qch/qn)
• make no difference    ne changer rien (à l'affaire), ne rien faire à (qn), ne faire aucune différence
• with a difference    à la différence que, à ceci près que

Deutsch (German)
n. - Unterschied, Differenz, Konflikt
v. - unterscheiden, einen Unterschied machen zwischen, differenzieren

idioms:

• difference of opinion    Meinungsverschiedenheit
• make a difference    ein Unterschied sein, einen Unterschied machen
• make no difference    egal sein
• with a difference    ungewöhnlich

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - διαφορά, ανομοιότητα, διαφωνία, (πληθ.) διαφορές, αιτίες διενέξεων

idioms:

• difference of opinion    διαφορά απόψεων
• make a difference    κάνω διαφορά, έχω σημασία
• make no difference    δεν κάνει διαφορά, είναι ένα και το αυτό
• with a difference    με μια σημαντική διαφορά

Italiano (Italian)
differenza, disaccordo

idioms:

• difference of opinion    differenza di opinione
• make a difference    essere importante
• make no difference    non importa
• with a difference    con qualcosa di piú

Português (Portuguese)
n. - diferença (f)

idioms:

• difference of opinion    diferença (f) de opinião
• make a difference    fazer uma diferença
• make no difference    dá no mesmo
• split the difference    dividir a sobra, chegar a um acordo
• with a difference    com uma diferença

Русский (Russian)
разница, расхождение, спор, разность

idioms:

• difference of opinion    расхождение во мнениях
• make a difference    влиять
• make no difference    не иметь значения
• split the difference    выбрать среднее
• with a difference    непохожий на других

Español (Spanish)
n. - desacuerdo, discrepancia, conflicto, controversia, la diferencia, cambio notable, característica diferenciadora
v. tr. - diferenciar, discriminar

idioms:

• difference of opinion    contraste de pareceres
• make a difference    no es lo mismo, es muy diferente
• make no difference    da lo mismo, da igual
• with a difference    algo distintivo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - skillnad, meningsskiljaktighet

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
差异, 分歧, 差别, 区别

idioms:

• difference of opinion    观点不同, 意见不同
• make a difference    紧要
• make no difference    没有关系, 没什么影响
• with a difference    不同的..., 特别的...

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 差異, 分歧, 差別
v. tr. - 區別

idioms:

• difference of opinion    觀點不同, 意見不同
• make a difference    緊要
• make no difference    沒有關係, 沒什麼影響
• with a difference    不同的..., 特別的...

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 상이, 차액, 분쟁
v. tr. - 차별하다

idioms:

• make a difference    차이가 생기다
• make no difference    차이가 안 생기다
• with a difference    새로운 모양을 갖은

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 違い, 相違, 意見の相違, 差, 区別

idioms:

• difference of opinion    意見の相違
• make a difference    相違を生ずる, 差別を付ける
• make no difference    どちらでもよい
• with a difference    特別な点を伴った

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) اختلاف, تمييز, الفرق‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮שוני, הבדל, הפרש, מחלוקת, סכסוך‬
v. tr. - ‮הבחין בהבדל, שינה‬

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