English · Word Candidate

differ

/ˈdɪfə/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: differs · differing · differed

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Not to have the same traits or characteristics; to be unalike or distinct.

Verb

Examples

When we look to the individuals of the same variety or sub-variety of our older cultivated plants and animals, one of the first points which strikes us, is, that they generally differ much more from each other, than do the individuals of any one species or variety in a state of nature.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Not to have the same traits or characteristics; to be unalike or distinct. — To be separated in quantity.

Verb

Examples

The numbers 3 and 21 differ by 18.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

A program that diffs, a diff.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “differ” mean?

Not to have the same traits or characteristics; to be unalike or distinct.

Is “differ” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.