differ

What it means

1. intransitiveNot to have the same traits or characteristics; to be unalike or distinct.

   These shoes only differ from those ones in having slightly longer laces.

   1 more example

   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.

   1859, Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species

   1. intransitiveTo be separated in quantity.

      The numbers 3 and 21 differ by 18.

   2. intransitiveusuallypeople; groups; people; groupsTo have diverging opinions, disagree.

      May 11, 1827, George Canning, Changes in the Administration I differ from the honourable baronet on both these subjects

      1 more example

      Historical interpretation has differed over the role played by the king of Denmark and Norway in the impignoration of the islands.

      1969, “The Pawning of Orkney and Shetland: A Reconsideration of the Events of 1460-9”, in The Scottish Historical Review, volume 48, number 145, Edinburgh University Press, →OCLC, page 35

In a sentence

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.

1859, Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species

Where it comes from

1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
2. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
3. Proto-Indo-European*d(w)is-
4. Proto-Italic*dis-
5. Latindis-
6. Proto-Indo-European*bʰer-
7. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéreti
8. Proto-Italic*ferō
9. Latinferō
10. Latindifferō
11. Old Frenchdifferer
12. Middle Englishdifferren
13. Englishdiffer

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.