Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To be dissimilar or unlike in nature, quality, amount, or form.
  • intransitive verb To be of a different opinion; disagree.
  • intransitive verb Obsolete To quarrel; dispute.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To be unlike, dissimilar, distinct, or various in nature, condition, form, or qualities: used absolutely or with from: as, the two things differ greatly; men differ from brutes; a statue differs from a picture; wisdom differs from cunning.
  • To disagree; be of a contrary opinion; dissent; be at variance; vary in opinion or action: used absolutely or with from or with: as, they differ in their methods; he differs from other writers on the subject.
  • To express disagreement or dissent by word of mouth; come into antagonism; dispute; contend: followed by with.
  • Synonyms To vary.
  • To cause to be different or unlike.
  • To cause difference or dispute between; divide.
  • To put off; defer. See defer.
  • noun Difference.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb rare To cause to be different or unlike; to set at variance.
  • intransitive verb To be or stand apart; to disagree; to be unlike; to be distinguished; -- with from.
  • intransitive verb To be of unlike or opposite opinion; to disagree in sentiment; -- often with from or with.
  • intransitive verb To have a difference, cause of variance, or quarrel; to dispute; to contend.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Not to have the same traits, characteristics.
  • verb people, etc. To have diverging opinions, disagree.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb be different
  • verb be of different opinions

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English differren, from Old French differer, from Latin differre, to differ, delay : dis-, apart; see dis– + ferre, to carry; see bher- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English differen, from Latin differō ("carry apart, put off, defer; differ"), from dis- ("apart") + ferō ("carry, bear").

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