differdif‧fer /ˈdɪfə $ -ər/ ●●○ W3 verb [intransitive] 
Word Origin Examples
The two systems differ in many respects.differ from People differ from one another in their ability to handle stress.differ between The symptoms did not differ between the two groups.differ widely/greatly/significantly etc We soon found that prices differed enormously. Experts have differing views on the subject.2if two people or groups differ about something, they have opposite opinions SYN disagreediffer about/on/over The two lawyers differed about how to present the case.► see thesaurus at disagree3agree to differ to stop arguing with someone and accept that you will never agree4I beg to differ spoken formal used to say that you disagree with someoneCOLLOCATIONSdiffer + ADVERBdiffer greatly/enormously· Modern teaching methods differ greatly from those fifty years ago.differ significantly (=in an important way)· The second set of test results did not differ significantly from the first.differ considerably/widely/substantially (=greatly)· Opinions differ widely on the best way to do this.differ sharply/noticeably/markedly (=in a very noticeable way)· Ways of negotiating differ markedly across the Atlantic.differ radically (=very greatly)· The new car differed radically from the earlier model.differ fundamentally (=in a very basic way)· These paintings differed fundamentally from his earlier work.differ slightly· Prices differ slightly from one shop to another.
Word OriginWORD ORIGINdiffer
Verb TableOrigin:
1300-1400 French différer ‘to delay, be different’, from Latin differre, from ferre ‘to carry’VERB TABLE
differ
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | differ |
| he, she, it | differs | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | differed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have differed |
| he, she, it | has differed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had differed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will differ |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have differed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am differing |
| he, she, it | is differing | |
| you, we, they | are differing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was differing |
| you, we, they | were differing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been differing |
| he, she, it | has been differing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been differing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be differing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been differing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- A lot of painkillers are basically the same, differing only in cost.
- All politicians agree that inflation must be beaten but they differ over methods of achieving this.
- Critics differed about the importance of Osborne's new play.
- Opinions on the subject differ greatly.
- People's abilities differ, but their rights and opportunities should be the same.
- Scholars differ widely about when the two manuscripts were written.
- Scottish law has always differed from English law.
- However, states differ in standards for products and the labelling thereof.
- Ken Howard might beg to differ.
- Opinions currently differ as to the effectiveness of strategies in the professional development of teachers during the last twenty years.
- Rather smaller and darker than Swift and Pallid Swift, differing especially in its dark throat and faster flight.
- The methods of consultants differ from company to company and from station to station.
- The results, on virtually every test, differed markedly from a control group of healthy adults.
- The specific symptom by which our body chooses to signal stress will differ from one individual to the next.
- Thus, insight into those differing views is important to your own choices.
THESAURUS► disagree/not agree
Collocations to have a different opinion from someone else about something: · Scholars disagree about the meaning of the poem.· I don’t agree with a word of what she says.
► be divided/split if a group of people is divided or split on something, some of them have one opinion and others have a completely different opinion: · The party is divided on this issue.
► differ if two or more people differ about something, they have different opinions from each other about it: · The two men differed on how to handle the crisis.
► not see eye to eye used to say that two people have different opinions and ideas so that it is difficult for them to be friends or work together: · Some of the teachers don’t see eye to eye with the principal of the school.
► be mistaken used to say that you disagree with someone’s opinion and that you think they are wrong: · People are mistaken if they think that this problem will go away on its own.
► take issue with somebody/something formal to express strong disagreement with an idea or with what someone has said or done: · A number of people took issue with the mayor’s decision.
► dissent formal to say publicly that you disagree with an official opinion or one that most people accept: · Two members of the jury dissented from the majority verdict.
Longman Language Activatornot like someone or something else► different if something or someone is different , they are not like something or someone else, or they are not like they were before: · You look different. Have you had your hair cut?· People are all so different. You can never tell how they will react.· Things are different now, since John left.· We've painted the door a different colour.different from something/somebodyalso different than something/somebody American: · This computer's different from the one I used in my last job.· Life today is different than ten, fifteen years ago.completely/totally different: · I'd like a totally different look in the kitchen - something brighter and more modern.
► not like different from - use this especially when two things or people are not at all similar: · Walking in the hills isn't like walking down the street - it can be very dangerous.not at all like/nothing like (=completely different from): · She's very shy - not at all like her sister.· James was nothing like I'd expected, from what I had heard.not look/sound like: · The voice on the answering machine didn't sound like Anna's at all.
► not the same different - use this especially when two things are similar but are not exactly like each other, or when one of them is not as good as the other: · The two designs are similar but not the same. Which do you prefer?· I prefer having my own house. Living in a rented flat really isn't the same.not the same as: · I've tried Mexican food here in London, but it just isn't the same as in Mexico.
► vary if things of the same type vary , they are all different from each other: · Methods of treatment vary according to the age and general health of the patient.vary considerably/greatly/widely: · Prices of video cameras vary considerably.vary in price/quality/size etc: · The hotel rooms vary in size, but all have televisions and telephones.
► differ formal if two things differ , they have different qualities or features: · People's abilities differ, but their rights and opportunities should be the same.differ from: · Scottish law has always differed from English law.differ in cost/size/appearance etc: · A lot of painkillers are basically the same, differing only in cost.differ greatly/widely: · Opinions on the subject differ greatly.
► contrast with if one thing contrasts with another thing, the difference between them is very easy to see and is sometimes surprising: · His extrovert personality contrasts with his sister's quiet, shy character.· The snow was icy and white, contrasting with the brilliant blue sky.contrast sharply/markedly with something (=to be extremely different): · These results contrast sharply with those of similar tests carried out in Australia.
► be a departure from a method, way of behaving etc that is a departure from the usual one is different, new, and unusual: · Such methods are, of course, a departure from traditional medical practice.mark/represent/signal a departure from something: · The move represented a departure from the government's commitment to finding a peaceful solution to the crisis.
► diverse things that are diverse are different from each other and cover a wide range of possible styles, types etc: · The music college aims to encourage talents as diverse as members of symphony orchestras and pop groups.· diverse political viewsa diverse range of something: · People enter the organisation from a diverse range of social, economic, and educational backgrounds.
to have a different opinion from someone else► disagree to have a different opinion about something from someone else: · A lot of people think that capitalism is the only system that works, but I disagree.disagree with: · I showed my article to the editor. He disagreed with almost everything I'd written.disagree about: · Throughout their marriage my parents disagreed about whether to stay in their hometown or not.disagree that: · The company's lawyers disagreed that the complaint was a criminal matter.strongly disagree: · The court decision represents an issue on which the president and the Justice Department strongly disagree.
► not agree to disagree with someone about a subject or about what to do: · He thinks we'd have a better chance of finding work if we moved house, but I don't agree.not agree with: · I'd never vote for Davies. He has too many policies I don't agree with.not agree on/about: · Before long, they realized that they couldn't agree about anything.· We couldn't agree on what to do in the afternoon, so we just stayed at home.not agree that: · The doctor did not agree that the only solution was to operate.
► not see eye to eye if two people do not see eye to eye , they have very different opinions and ideas, so that it is difficult for them to be friends or to work together: not see eye to eye on/about: · Unfortunately, Julie and I don't see eye to eye on money matters.not see eye to eye with: · Donato doesn't see eye to eye with several of the other committee members.
► take issue with formal to disagree strongly with someone about something they have said or done, and to argue with them about it: take issue with somebody over something: · I took issue with Meeker over the way he was running the company.
► differ especially written if a group of people differ about something, they have a range of different opinions on it: differ about/over: · Critics differed about the importance of Osborne's new play.· All politicians agree that inflation must be beaten but they differ over methods of achieving this.differ widely (=differ a lot): · Scholars differ widely about when the two manuscripts were written.
► agree to disagree also agree to differ British to stop arguing with someone about something and accept that they cannot be persuaded to agree with you: · The two sides had agreed to differ.· After two days, the negotiators had done little more than agree to disagree.
► dissent formal to say publicly that you disagree with an official opinion or belief, or one that is accepted by most people: · The decision was supported by almost everyone. Baldwin was the only one to dissent.dissent from: · No one dared dissent from the official party line.dissenting voices (=people who say they disagree): · Blair would be wise to listen to some of the dissenting voices in his party.
words for describing things or people that are of different kinds► different use this about several people or things of the same general type, when you are comparing them with each other and noticing the differences between them: · His hair was dyed in at least three different colors.· I always check the prices of different brands before I make a major purchase.· The drug affects different people in different ways.· The word can have completely different meanings depending on the context.
► various use this when you want to emphasize that there are several different people or things: · The study evaluates various methods of weight loss.· The committee has asked various people for their opinions.· I had to sign various documents before they would let me into the country.
► a variety of something especially written a lot of things that are different from each other, but of the same general type: · Children do badly at school for a variety of reasons.· The reef fishes display an almost endless variety of colors and patterns.a wide variety of something (=a large variety): · The college offers a wide variety of language courses.
► differing different from each other, especially very different in degree, amount, character etc: · We aim to satisfy the differing needs of our customers.· Survivors sustained injuries with differing degrees of severity.widely differing: · There are widely differing views among community leaders on how best to deal with the homeless issue.
► varying different from each other in degree, amount, condition etc: · The program teaches children of varying ages.· It is now possible to grow satisfactory crops under varying climatic conditions.varying degrees/levels/amounts etc of something: · She has tried numerous diets with varying degrees of success.· Test-takers must complete ten tasks with varying levels of complexity.
► an assortment of something several things that are of the same general kind but are not all exactly alike: · Police confiscated an assortment of weapons from the gang.· Every good cook needs an assortment of knives for different jobs in the kitchen.· The basket contained an assortment of sandwiches, cheese, and fruit.
► assorted various things of the same general kind, all together in the same place - often used about products: · In the centre of the table was a plate of assorted biscuits.· a box of assorted bandages· The website contains links to assorted investment sites.
► a mix of something an interesting or useful variety of different people or things: · The ideal lesson contains a good mix of activities and subjects.· A mix of young people and old people attended the meeting.· The band's music is an exciting mix of jazz, swing, and rock 'n' roll.
► a mixture of something a variety of people or things, especially when they have been deliberately chosen to be together: · The film is largely a mixture of music, dance, and comedy.· Indonesian civilization is an extreme mixture of races, religions, and cultures.· Yiddish is a dialect of German with a mixture of Polish and Hebrew added.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYdiffer + ADVERB► differ greatly/enormously
Phrases· Modern teaching methods differ greatly from those fifty years ago.
► differ significantly (=in an important way)· The second set of test results did not differ significantly from the first.
► differ considerably/widely/substantially (=greatly)· Opinions differ widely on the best way to do this.
► differ sharply/noticeably/markedly (=in a very noticeable way)· Ways of negotiating differ markedly across the Atlantic.
► differ radically (=very greatly)· The new car differed radically from the earlier model.
► differ fundamentally (=in a very basic way)· These paintings differed fundamentally from his earlier work.
► differ slightly· Prices differ slightly from one shop to another.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► be of differing/different views (=disagree)· They get on well, though they are of differing views on politics.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► also· However, the cause of the problem in a particular patient will be different, and so actual care may also differ.· Dash and Alexander were as opposite as individuals as their respective choice of pseudonyms suggests, and their respective skills differed also.· Architecture also differs from language in its strict observation of its own rules and conventions, and in its sense of detail.· It also differs from the more numerous Forster's in having a yellow bill and white forehead.· Individuals also differ in their alcohol tolerance.· Yet the festivals also differ in significant ways.· Pollution control work also differs in important respects from routine police patrol work.· Both species differ also in their achenes and bracts.
► considerably· The process of care differs considerably from recommended guidelines, and the outcome of attacks is a continuing cause for concern.· However, their historical development as nations has differed considerably.· The above examples of culturally defined behaviour have been selected because they differ considerably from behaviour patterns in Western society.· Existing intermediate agencies differ considerably, responding to quite different circumstances.· The drawing of Orpheus himself also differs considerably between the two.· Clearly, communes differ considerably from one another.
► fundamentally· Coventry, moreover, differed fundamentally from the Stour Valley.· In such cases the citizens often dream of reunification, even when their governments and ideology differ fundamentally.· Clements was an influential writer who developed a philosophy of ecology that differed fundamentally from the reductionism of Warming and Cowles.
► greatly· These histories may be similar on very large scales, but they will differ greatly on normal, everyday scales.· The rural hinterland which supported the two best known cities differed greatly.· In either case, the actual functioning of official institutions may differ greatly from their declared purposes.· The result is that families differ greatly in their ability to express their wants in the market.· Pluvinel regarded all horses as individuals, and recognised that their temperaments can differ greatly.· Not only does all mankind face death, but the various peoples of the world face death in greatly differing ways.· Taking a less detailed view, the patterns of discovery do not differ greatly.· But the levels reported on the official water quality chart differ greatly from the results contained in the unofficial water quality analyses.
► in· Colugos differ in so many ways from other mammals that they thoroughly merit an order of their own.· The Johnson case differs in that the Olympics are being held in the United States.· Systems differ in their ability to deal with more sophisticated data such as that from precision farming.· He was looking at a peaceful family group, differing in only one respect from the scenes he knew.· They differ in almost half the letters in the signature site.· Benzodiazepines differ in how quickly they affect sleep and how long effects last.· The buff application form differed in only one important way from the half-dozen Vologsky had sent in the past.
► little· Hymn lists differ little from year to year and music programmes remain unadventurous.· In most practical aspects heritable copyhold differed little from socage.· His rooms differed little, one from another.
► markedly· At the time of its publication this collection of essays provoked markedly differing critical responses.· But the current outing flurry differs markedly from the initial wave in 1991.· There is sufficient evidence to indicate that students may differ markedly in the ways they set about learning.· The Web has become an umbrella for a wide range of concepts and technologies that differ markedly in purpose and scope.· In the Emmental region the loca customary laws of inheritance differed markedly from most of their neighbours.· After all, they reasoned, execution by the guillotine or sword differed markedly from that dealt by the axe.· In its provisions dealing with the Chancellor, the Basic Law differs markedly and consciously from its Weimar predecessor.· In these respects they differ markedly from the other two parties and have a much stronger and more developed concept of citizenship.
► only· They differ only in the degree to which they exploit viewers' voyeuristic and sadistic urges.· These assays differ only in the specific reagents used.· We have already seen that two sentences differing only in respect of cognitive synonyms occupying parallel syntactic positions are in general logically equivalent.· They differ only in the position of one of the methyl groups.· This loco will be almost fully authentic, only differing where it is necessary to conform to modern safety practices.· Non-Being and Being, issuing from a single source, differ only in their name.· Both have the same content; they differ only in form.· Left and right both tend to accept the existing political structure and differ only on the substance of policy and political personnel.
► radically· Our view of the future of elite workers differs radically from the conventional view.· This differs radically from the popular image of penetrating falsehood by perception of the liar.· Its content may however differ radically depending on the way in which the precise subject matter is viewed by those political theories.· For most couples, circumstances will differ radically from the early days of marriage.
► sharply· Difficulties created by local authority boundaries, especially where policies differ sharply and where these divide built up areas are well described.· But despite this similarity, local government differs sharply among the five nations.· It ought to be self-evident, but perhaps is not, that schools differ sharply from each other, as do colleges.· In outlook and temperament the brothers differed sharply.· Veterinary historians still differ sharply about the effect his long spell in charge of the College had on the emerging profession.
► significantly· The article challenges the statement by the Cumbrian Area Health Authority that local leukaemia rates do not significantly differ from national rates.· The individual mare basins differ significantly in composition.· When this indicated a probability of less than 0.05 for the null hypothesis Student-Newman-Keuls analyses were performed to determine which values differed significantly.· They reported that quality-wise, the convenience foods did not differ significantly from the home-prepared items.· Although the hit rate does not differ significantly between junctions there do seem to be substantial differences between individual films.· It did not differ significantly between groups.· The lunar ratios differ significantly from those in achondritic meteorites.· The fraction of cells in S phase did not differ significantly between the groups.
► slightly· Direct files require extensive design work, because every file and every algorithm will differ slightly from every other.· In addition, the model formulation and parameter values used differ slightly between the two analyses.· Payment of fees and grants Fees set by each drama school do differ slightly, though they can be considered basically similar.· All were circular and closely similar in plan, although differing slightly in dimensions and details.· Holidays Holiday entitlement differs slightly according to job level, age and length of service.
► substantially· In Ponthieu the seneschal's functions did not differ substantially from those or the seneschal of Gascony.· But just about every skill in making and selling computers substantially differed from making and leasing copiers.· The parallel structure differs substantially from the fold-back structure at the individual nucleotide level.· Long stays on the lunar surface demand prolonged exposure to an environment differing substantially from that at the surface of Earth.· The council does not have to consider a new application within two years, unless it differs substantially from the original.· And the percentage who report membership differs substantially from country to country.· In an introduction to the report Mr Prescott says that the need for improvement will differ substantially across the country.· That process differs substantially from how the City of Tucson usually leases property.
► widely· Where dates differ widely from the results announcements, this is referred to in the footnotes as an alternative dividend announcement.· Margarines are available at widely differing costs, with the most expensive ones being twice as costly as the least expensive ones.· Dictionaries differ widely in their style and content, and this has been shown to affect recognition performance.· Thus launch windows to Mars differ widely in their attractiveness.· Individuals can differ widely in their scores and this makes direct comparisons between them difficult.· This is the case of choosing from among mutually exclusive projects with widely differing costs.· These statutes differ widely as to their aims and methods.· Scholars differ widely, and will no doubt continue to do so.
NOUN► approach· Apart from differing needs of users, indexing approaches may differ on policy grounds.· But the elite and class approach differ in their conceptions of the nature of the groups and their interactions.· The approach to these projects differs from the earlier generation of higher cost ventures.
► country· In what ways did the countries differ?· Yet the social élites of different countries could differ dramatically from one another.· The shock and adjustment curve followed the same pattern in all countries but the timescale differed.
► degree· They differ only in the degree to which they exploit viewers' voyeuristic and sadistic urges.· It would differ very greatly in degree from the simple algorithm of the thermostat, but need not differ in principle.· Althusser's analysis implies that the Soviet Union and capitalist societies do not differ in degrees of democracy or political freedom.
► detail· The episode is described by all the chroniclers and although their accounts differ in detail, the outlines are clear.· The liability of the agent may be the same in both cases, but the reasons for it differ in detail.· But the two structures differ completely in detail.· But the economists differ on the details.
► extent· Countries differ however in the extent to which they wish to impose limitations.· Opinions differ on the extent of his success.· The particular techniques differ mainly in the extent to which they measure and value in improvements in health.
► form· If terms that differ in form must differ in meaning, then one should find no true synonyms.· This is a very peculiar but decorative plant which in submersed form differs conspicuously from the other members of the family.· The buff application form differed in only one important way from the half-dozen Vologsky had sent in the past.
► group· The actual results of the Group may differ materially from those illustrated.· These chondrites belong to three major groups that differ in their composition.· Group norms Work groups differ from free-forming groups outside employment in that they evolve over long periods of time.· He was looking at a peaceful family group, differing in only one respect from the scenes he knew.· In this respect groups did not differ statistically but the adjustment is standard practice and allows a fairer comparison.· Conflicts of interest among philanthropic groups originating in differing social or religious theories frustrated constructive action in certain fields.
► language· These serve pretty well everywhere, though languages differ in the ones they favor.
► method· Variation from authority averages by the two methods differed not only in size but in direction.· The methods of consultants differ from company to company and from station to station.
► opinion· In a few instances as might be expected, opinions differ on certain aspects.· Spiced a rid Flavored Cheeses Opinion differs on the merits of flavoring and spicing cheeses.· There may be a complicated chain of cause and effect on which opinions will differ.
► rate· It is for these reasons that wage rates differ from one job to the next.· The rate of planetary turnings differed, and he did not know that of Trantor.· The article challenges the statement by the Cumbrian Area Health Authority that local leukaemia rates do not significantly differ from national rates.· Although the hit rate does not differ significantly between junctions there do seem to be substantial differences between individual films.· The unemployment rates did not differ significantly in these darker areas, being high for both groups.· Reinfarction rates did not differ significantly between aspirin alone and aspirin plus subcutaneous heparin groups.· Age specific death rates do not differ much between the non-manual social classes.· The success rates for two tasks differing only in the lengths of the rod shown is again marked.
► respect· We have already seen that two sentences differing only in respect of cognitive synonyms occupying parallel syntactic positions are in general logically equivalent.· Individuals differ with respect to the contribution of each of these variables in their development.· Pollution control work also differs in important respects from routine police patrol work.· Yet Cantor differed in several respects from the superstars in universities that counted Nobel laureates by the dozen.· If the people and positions which make up society did not differ in important respects there would be no need for stratification.· The first is that there are no systematic entailments between sentences differing only in respect of compatibles in parallel syntactic positions.· He was looking at a peaceful family group, differing in only one respect from the scenes he knew.
► result· These results did not differ when acid output was expressed as mmol/h/kg lean body mass or mmol/h/kg fat free body weight.· The result is that families differ greatly in their ability to express their wants in the market.· As a result differing terms are used to describe similar products.· The authors point out that their study was done in a rural area and results may differ with urban clients.· Data from patients adhering fully to the protocol were also analysed, and where results differ, these are also presented.· How did their results differ when they listened with one ear and with two?· The results appear to differ among species.· Did their one-ear results differ depending on the direction of the clap?
► size· The areas will differ in size.· Shrimp from around the world differ in color, size, and shape.· Variation from authority averages by the two methods differed not only in size but in direction.· Nematode eggs differ greatly in size and shape, and the shell is of variable thickness usually consisting of three layers.· Their percentages, however, differ with the size of the university.· Sometimes, in a store where more than one manufacturer is stocked, dresses for the same ages differ in size.· The template can be anything from a simple list of stories to a traditional newspaper layout with headlines of differing sizes.
► species· Different species differed in number and size of teeth and proportions of the jaws.· Both species differ also in their achenes and bracts.· Different fish species differ markedly in their ability to deal with different water types.· The achenes of Sagittaria species differ from those of Echinodorus species by not being ribbed.· In the genus Echinodorus there are distinct groups of self-fertile and self-sterile species differing in the leaf petioles.
► view· Their reasons for adopting this view differed somewhat, but we can take Galileo's position as not atypical.
► ways· In what ways did the countries differ?· So in what ways do they differ?· If a present-day Darwin were to agonize over his matrimonial fate in what ways might it differ from the example above?· The needs of local populations, their service objectives and the most effective ways of achieving them differ between areas.· But in other ways they differ very strongly.· They are both 11 13, but in almost all other ways they differ.
VERB► agree· They were tolerably happy together, as marriages seem to go, a happiness achieved partly by agreeing to differ.· We might as well agree to differ and get along as well as we can.· If after discussion we agree to differ, both versions will be recorded.
► beg· Peretti begged to differ, citing Webster's dictionary.· Ken Howard might beg to differ.· Well having discussed this matter with many typical users of word processors, I beg to differ.· Predictably, Boston begs to differ.· The publishing industry may beg to differ.· The solar calendar begs to differ.· Many baseball fans in Cleveland beg to differ.· Many would beg to differ with his terminology.
► seem· More-over, the effects of imitation on performance seem to differ with respect to phonological abilities and grammatical abilities.· As in the case of the concord system, constraints seem to differ between one non-standard grammar and another.· Many of these areas also suffer from extremely serious soil erosion, although reports and impressions seem to differ.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► agree to differ► I beg to differPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► agree to differ/disagree► I beg to differ
Word family- If after discussion we agree to differ, both versions will be recorded.
- They were tolerably happy together, as marriages seem to go, a happiness achieved partly by agreeing to differ.
- We might as well agree to differ and get along as well as we can.
- Selling some of course. I beg to differ.
- Well having discussed this matter with many typical users of word processors, I beg to differ.
- An official day to, as a society, agree to disagree and celebrate our freedom to do so.
- If after discussion we agree to differ, both versions will be recorded.
- If you can't agree to disagree, then take a back seat and let others have their way on this occasion.
- They seemed to respect each other, and simply agreed to disagree.
- They were tolerably happy together, as marriages seem to go, a happiness achieved partly by agreeing to differ.
- We might as well agree to differ and get along as well as we can.
- Selling some of course. I beg to differ.
- Well having discussed this matter with many typical users of word processors, I beg to differ.
WORD FAMILYnoundifferencedifferentiationverbdifferdifferentiateadjectivedifferentadverbdifferently
1to be different from something in some way: The two systems differ in many respects.differ from People differ from one another in their ability to handle stress.differ between The symptoms did not differ between the two groups.differ widely/greatly/significantly etc We soon found that prices differed enormously. Experts have differing views on the subject.2if two people or groups differ about something, they have opposite opinions SYN disagreediffer about/on/over The two lawyers differed about how to present the case.► see thesaurus at disagree3agree to differ to stop arguing with someone and accept that you will never agree4I beg to differ spoken formal used to say that you disagree with someoneCOLLOCATIONSdiffer + ADVERBdiffer greatly/enormously· Modern teaching methods differ greatly from those fifty years ago.differ significantly (=in an important way)· The second set of test results did not differ significantly from the first.differ considerably/widely/substantially (=greatly)· Opinions differ widely on the best way to do this.differ sharply/noticeably/markedly (=in a very noticeable way)· Ways of negotiating differ markedly across the Atlantic.differ radically (=very greatly)· The new car differed radically from the earlier model.differ fundamentally (=in a very basic way)· These paintings differed fundamentally from his earlier work.differ slightly· Prices differ slightly from one shop to another.