What does "differ" mean?

1. (to be unlike) to be different from something else in size, shape, or quality. 2. (to disagree) to have a different opinion from someone else. 3. (to compare files) to compare two files or pieces of code to see what is different between them.

differ — meaning, definition & examples

Q: Is it correct to say "The two cars differ with each other."?

No — say "The two cars differ from each other.". When comparing two things that are not the same, use 'differ from'.

Word

01to be unlike

B1 · Intermediate

v. to be different from something else in size, shape, or quality.

v. to be unlike or distinct in nature, form, or quality. Intransitive; typically followed by the preposition 'from'.

“The two sisters differ from each other in personality, though they look very similar.”

“The two legal systems differ significantly in their approach to property rights, particularly regarding the inheritance of land.”

Pitfall

The two cars differ with each other.

The two cars differ from each other.

When comparing two things that are not the same, use 'differ from'.

Synonyms

vary contrast

Antonyms

match resemble

02to disagree

B2 · Upper Intermediate Formal

v. to have a different opinion from someone else.

v. to hold or express a different opinion. Intransitive; often used with 'with' to indicate the person or 'on/about' to indicate the topic.

“I beg to differ with you on that point, as I think the cost is too high.”

“Economists differ on the long-term effects of the new tax policy, with some predicting growth and others forecasting a recession.”

Synonyms

disagree clash

Antonyms

agree concur

03to compare files

C1 · Advanced Computing Technical

v. to compare two files or pieces of code to see what is different between them.

v. to compare two files or data sets in order to identify and display the differences between them.

“You should differ the two versions of the script to see what changed.”

“The developer had to differ the local source code against the master branch to identify the cause of the merge conflict.”

Usage

Often used as a transitive verb in technical contexts.

Synonyms

compare

Antonyms

merge

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “differ” in context.

Noun

01. approach differ

“The two schools of thought on this approach differ fundamentally.”

noun + verb

02. condition differ

“Working conditions differ from one industry to another.”

noun + verb

03. finding differ

“The research findings differ from the initial hypothesis.”

noun + verb

04. group differ

“The needs of each age group differ, so we must tailor our services.”

noun + verb

05. pattern differ

“Spending patterns differ between urban and rural households.”

noun + verb

06. response differ

“Individual responses differ when people are faced with high-stress situations.”

noun + verb

07. theory differ

“Scientific theories differ in their complexity and scope.”

noun + verb

08. type differ

“The nutritional requirements for each soil type differ.”

noun + verb

Adverb

09. considerably differ

“The two versions of the software considerably differ in terms of speed.”

adv + verb

10. greatly differ

“Opinions on the new policy greatly differ among the staff members.”

adv + verb

11. significantly differ

“The results of the second experiment significantly differ from the first one.”

adv + verb

12. substantially differ

“The final product may substantially differ from the original design.”

adv + verb

“These features differ from those documented in previously known mosasaurs.”

ScienceDaily 15 Aug 2026

“Maybe you can learn how gene expression differs in the cells of younger and older people, or whether different patients' cells respond differently to the same treatments.”

Phys.org 14 Aug 2026

From Middle English differren, from Old French differer, from Latin differō (“carry apart, put off, defer; differ”), from dis- (“apart”) + ferō (“carry, bear”). Compare Ancient Greek διαφέρω (diaphérō). Doublet of defer and dilate, see also infer, confer and collate, refer and relate, as well as prefer and prelate among others.

From diff + -er.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

VERB

differ(B2)

NOUN

ADJECTIVE

ADVERB