Origin: Latin suffix -ence
Difference has 7 different meanings across 1 category:
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
"there are many differences between jazz and rock"
a variation that deviates from the standard or norm
"the deviation from the mean"
a disagreement or argument about something important
"he had a dispute with his wife"
"there were irreconcilable differences"
"the familiar conflict between Republicans and Democrats"
a significant change
"the difference in her is amazing"
"his support made a real difference"
the number that remains after subtraction; the number that when added to the subtrahend gives the minuend
"The difference between five and two is three, which means you add three back to two to get five."
The quality of being different.
"The difference between the two recipes is subtle, but you can taste it immediately."
In plain English: A difference is how two things are not exactly the same.
"There is no difference between the two flavors."
Usage: Use "difference" as a noun to describe the state or fact that two things are not the same. It often appears in phrases like "make a difference" to mean having a significant impact or result.
To distinguish or differentiate.
"The teacher asked us to difference between the two similar-looking plants before we could identify them correctly."
In plain English: To make something different from what it was before by changing it.
"There is no difference between these two pictures."
Usage: Use "differ" when you want to say that two things are not alike or distinct from each other. Do not use "difference" as a verb; instead, pair the noun "difference" with verbs like "make," "create," or "show."
The word "difference" entered English from the Old French difference, which was borrowed from the Latin differentia. It originally described the state of being different, derived from the present participle of the Latin verb differre.