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difference(noun)BrE / ˈdɪfrəns / NAmE / ˈdɪfrəns / - the way in which two people or things are not like each other; the way in which somebody/something has changed
opposite similarity https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/similarity - There are no significant differences between the education systems of the two countries.
- He was studying the complex similarities and differences between humans and animals.
- There's no difference in the results.
- I can never tell the difference(= distinguish) between the twins.
- She noticed a marked difference in the children on her second visit.
- There's a world of difference between liking someone and loving them.
- What a difference! You look great with your hair like that.
- This survey highlights a number of differences in the way that teenage boys and girls in the UK spend their free time.
- One of the main differences between the girls and the boys who took part in the research was the way in which they use the Internet.
- Unlike the girls, who use the Internet mainly to keep in touch with friends, the boys questioned in this survey tend to use the Internet for playing computer games.
- The girls differ from the boys in that they tend to spend more time keeping in touch with friends on the telephone or on social networking websites.
- Compared to the boys, the girls spend much more time chatting to friends on the telephone.
- On average the girls spend four hours a week chatting to friends on the phone. In contrast, very few of the boys spend more than five minutes a day talking to their friends in this way.
- The boys prefer competitive sports and computer games, whereas/while the girls seem to enjoy more cooperative activities, such as shopping with friends.
- When the girls go shopping, they mainly buy clothes and cosmetics. The boys, on the other hand, tend to purchase computer games or gadgets.
- the amount that something is greater or smaller than something else
- There's not much difference in price between the two computers.
- There's an age difference of six years between the boys (= one is six years older than the other).
- I'll lend you £500 and you'll have to find the difference (= the rest of the money that you need).
- We measured the difference in temperature.
- a disagreement between people
- We have our differences, but she's still my sister.
- Why don't you settle your differences and be friends again?
- There was a difference of opinion over who had won.
- used to emphasize how much difference there is between two things
- There's a world of difference between liking someone and loving them.
- to stop being unfriendly and become friends again
- After not speaking to each other for years, the two brothers decided to bury the hatchet.
- to have an important effect on somebody/something; to make somebody feel better
- A few kind words at the right time make all the difference.
- to have an effect/no effect on somebody/something
- The rain didn't make much difference to the game.
- Your age shouldn't make any difference to whether you get the job or not.
- Changing schools made a big difference to my life.
- What difference will it make if he knows or not?
- I don't think it makes a lot of difference what colour it is (= it is not important).
- ‘Shall we go on Friday or Saturday?’ ‘It makes no difference (to me).’
- used to say that you think the differences between two things are not important
- ‘That's not a xylophone, it's a glockenspiel.’ ‘Same difference.’
- to agree to forget about your disagreements
- We need to sink our differences and present a united opposition to the plan.
- (when discussing a price, etc.) to agree on an amount that is at an equal distance between the two amounts that have been suggested
- used to show that something is interesting or unusual
- The traditional backpack with a difference—it's waterproof.
Extra Examples- A small number of additional jobs can make a crucial difference to economic conditions.
- Although the talks were generally successful, differences remain between the groups.
- Can you spot the difference between these two photos?
- Differences may arise when the young people do not have the same expectations as their parents.
- He didn’t have enough money, but his aunt agreed to make up the difference.
- He sold the car for more than he’d paid and pocketed the difference.
- He was very aware of his difference from the other children.
- I found very little difference in price.
- I noticed a real difference in his attitude.
- I wanted to leave early and Ian wanted to leave late, so we split the difference and left at noon.
- If you decide on the more expensive model, you can bring this one back and pay the difference.
- If you want a holiday with a difference, come to Iceland.
- It’s difficult to tell the difference between butterflies and moths.
- Just five minutes’ exercise a day could make all the difference.
- Like any married couple, we have our differences.
- One tiny mistake when you’re climbing could mean the difference between life and death.
- Only an expert would know the difference between the male and the female.
- Our different attitudes to life reflect the differences in our backgrounds.
- She and Luke had a difference of opinion over how much money they should spend.
- The difference in price is not very significant.
- The difference lies in the way the fruit is prepared.
- The difference with this information service is that it’s free.
- The differences in size arise from the amount of sunshine each plant gets.
- The extra money will make a lot of difference to us.
- The new central heating has made an enormous difference to the house.
- The questionnaire showed vast differences in what kind of product people want.
- The study explores the differences between the way girls and boys talk.
- There are few important policy differences among the main parties.
- There is a striking difference between eastern and western Europe.
- There is one key difference with the earlier version of the software.
- There were some differences as to how to deal with the crisis.
- There’s a big difference between reading about skiing and doing it yourself.
- There’s all the difference in the world between choosing to do something and being forced to do it.
- There’s not much difference between baseball and softball.
- These talks aim to resolve the outstanding differences between the two sides.
- They have had some minor differences, but in general they get on well together.
- We found no significant difference between the two groups.
- We should be focusing on what we have in common rather than emphasizing our differences.
- We’re going to get the two sides together to see if they can’t settle their differences.
- What difference does it make if he doesn’t have a car?
- What’s the time difference between London and Tokyo?
- a crucial difference of emphasis
- I can never tell the difference between the twins.
- I’ll lend you £500 and you’ll have to find the difference.
- There’s a world of difference between liking someone and loving them.
- There’s an age difference of six years between the two boys.
- There’s not much difference in price between the two computers.
- We have our differences, but she’s still my sister.
- What a difference! You look great with your hair like that
- Why don’t you settle your differences and be friends again?
Word Origin- Middle English: via Old French from Latin differentia ‘difference’, from different- ‘carrying away’, from the verb differre, from dis- ‘from, away’ + ferre ‘bring, carry’.
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