noun

difference

DIHF-ruhns

noun

The way in which two or more things are unlike each other.

"Can you spot the difference between these two photos?"

"There’s a big difference in price between the two hotels."

A disagreement between people.

"They settled their differences over dinner."

The result you get by subtracting one number from another.

"The difference between 10 and 7 is 3."

A meaningful effect or change on a situation.

"Volunteering there really made a difference to the community."

How to Use Difference

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishHow two things aren’t the same, a disagreement, or a subtraction result.

Common pairings

make a difference split the difference tell the difference

differenced past tense, differences plural, differences singular

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Can you spot the _____ between these two photos?

From Old French difference, from Latin differentia, itself from differens, the present participle of differre, "to differ."

differentiation differentness distinction distinguishedness nonidentity unidenticality diversity

identity identicality identicalness sameness

characteristic identity monotony eminence confusion distinction equality diversity

hence fence Pence whence thence Spence absence science silence defence essence Terence

differentiation differentness distinction distinguishedness nonidentity unidenticality diversity identity identicality identicalness sameness characteristic