Differ

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈdɪfə/

Definitions

1. To be unlike or distinct from something else in nature, form, or quality
2. To possess qualities or attributes that set one apart from another, indicating a state of unlikeness or variation
3. To show a distinction in characteristics or qualities when compared to others, revealing divergence or contrast

Etymology: The verb "differ" comes from a Latin verb meaning "carry apart." Latin "differō" combined "dis-", meaning "apart," with "ferō", meaning "carry or bear," so its literal sense was to carry something in different directions. That same Latin verb also gave English "defer," which kept the sense of putting something off or carrying it to a later time, and "dilate," which carries the idea of spreading something out. The two words are doublets, meaning they share a root but reached English by different routes. The form came into English through Old French "differer," and Middle English borrowed it as "differren." The idea of being unlike something else grew out of the sense of carrying things apart, so that objects set in separate directions came to be seen as distinct from one another. The same Latin root also lies behind Greek "diaphérō," which carries a closely parallel meaning of carrying apart or differing.

Synonyms: vary, diverge

Antonyms: agree, concur