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differ

v. · n.
US //ˈdɪfɝ// UK //dˈɪfɐ// dif·fer
  1. 1 to disagree (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

    to have a different opinion from someone else.

    to hold a different opinion or to be at variance. Often used in the polite phrase 'I beg to differ'.

    Example

    I'm sorry, but I must differ with you on that point.

    Example

    Medical experts continue to differ on the long-term effects of the new treatment, leading to a delay in its general approval.
  2. 2 file difference (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a program or result that shows the differences between two computer files.

    a software utility that compares two files and outputs the differences between them; also the output itself. Often used as a shortened form of 'difference'.

    Example

    You can run a differ to see what changed in the code since yesterday.

    Example

    After the merge conflict occurred, the developer used a differ to identify the specific lines of code that were causing the incompatibility.

    Usage

    Often used as a verb in the same context to mean 'to run a comparison'.
Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

From diff + -er.

Idioms1 entry

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