different between difference vs modification

English

Etymology

From Middle English difference, from Old French difference, from Latin differentia (“difference”), from differ?ns (“different”), present participle of differre. Doublet of differentia.

Morphologically differ +? -ence.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?f??n(t)s/
• (rare) IPA^(key): /?d?f???n(t)s/
• Hyphenation: diffe?rence, dif?fer?ence

Noun

difference (countable and uncountable, plural differences)

1. (uncountable) The quality of being different.

   Antonyms: identity, sameness

2. (countable) A characteristic of something that makes it different from something else.

3. (countable) A disagreement or argument.

   We have our little differences, but we are firm friends.

   • 1714, Thomas Ellwood, The History of the Life of Thomas Ellwood: written by his own hand

     Away therefore went I with the constable, leaving the old warden and the young constable to compose their difference as they could.

4. (countable, uncountable) Significant change in or effect on a situation or state.
   • 1908, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

     The line of the horizon was clear and hard against the sky, and in one particular quarter it showed black against a silvery climbing phosphorescence that grew and grew. At last, over the rim of the waiting earth the moon lifted with slow majesty till it swung clear of the horizon and rode off, free of moorings; and once more they began to see surfaces—meadows wide-spread, and quiet gardens, and the river itself from bank to bank, all softly disclosed, all washed clean of mystery and terror, all radiant again as by day, but with a difference that was tremendous.

6. (countable) The result of a subtraction; sometimes the absolute value of this result.

   The difference between 3 and 21 is 18.

7. (obsolete) Choice; preference.
8. (heraldry) An addition to a coat of arms to distinguish two people's bearings which would otherwise be the same. See augmentation and cadency.
9. (logic) The quality or attribute which is added to those of the genus to constitute a species; a differentia.
10. (logic circuits) A Boolean operation which is TRUE when the two input variables are different but is otherwise FALSE; the XOR operation (${\displaystyle \scriptstyle A{\overline {B}}+{\overline {A}}B}$).
11. (relational algebra) the set of elements that are in one set but not another (${\displaystyle \scriptstyle A{\overline {B}}}$).

Synonyms

• (characteristic of something that makes it different from something else): departure, deviation, divergence, disparity
• (disagreement or argument about something important): conflict, difference of opinion, dispute, dissension
• (result of a subtraction): remainder
• (significant change in state): nevermind

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• addition, summation: (augend) + (addend) = (summand) + (summand) = (sum, total)
• subtraction: (minuend) ? (subtrahend) = (difference)
• multiplication: (multiplier) × (multiplicand) = (factor) × (factor) = (product)
• division: (dividend) ÷ (divisor) = (quotient), remainder left over if divisor does not divide dividend

Verb

difference (third-person singular simple present differences, present participle differencing, simple past and past participle differenced)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To distinguish or differentiate.
   • 1672 Gideon Harvey, Morbus Anglicus, Or, The Anatomy of Consumptions

     This simple spectation of the lungs is differenced from that which concomitates a pleurisy.

   (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)

Synonyms

• (to distinguish or differentiate): differentiate, distinguish

Translations

Related terms

Further reading

• difference in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• difference in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• differens, defference, defferense, dyfferens

Etymology

From Old French difference, from Latin differ?ntia; equivalent to differren (“to postpone”) +? -ence.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?dif?r?ns(?)/, /di?f?r?ns(?)/

Noun

difference (plural differences or difference)

1. Difference; the state of being different.
2. A difference; an element which separates.
3. Distinguishment; the finding or creation of dissimilarity.
4. (heraldry, rare) A heraldic cadency for a family's junior branch.
5. (mathematics, rare) The result of subtraction; an amount left over.
6. (mathematics, rare) An order in decimal representation of numbers.
7. (rare) Something that people do not agree upon.

Descendants

• English: difference
• Scots: difference

References

• “difference, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-07-31.

Old French

Alternative forms

• differance

Etymology

From Latin differentia.

Noun

difference f (oblique plural differences, nominative singular difference, nominative plural differences)

1. difference

Descendants

• ? Middle English: difference, differens, defference, defferense, dyfferens
  • English: difference
  • Scots: difference
• French: différence

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French modification, from Latin modificatio (“a measuring”), from modificare (“to limit, control, modify”); see modify.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m?d?f??ke???n/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m?d?f??ke???n/
• Hyphenation: mod?i?fi?ca?tion
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

modification (countable and uncountable, plural modifications)

1. (obsolete, philosophy) The form of existence belonging to a particular object, entity etc.; a mode of being. [17th–19th c.]
   • 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Penguin 2004, p. 72:

     Pleasure is the business of woman's life, according to the present modification of society […].

2. (linguistics) the change undergone by a word when used in a construction (for instance am => 'm in I'm) [from 17th c.]
3. The result of modifying something; a new or changed form. [from 17th c.]
4. The act of making a change to something while keeping its essential character intact; an alteration or adjustment. [from 18th c.]
   • Jim's modification to the radio's tuning resulted in clearer sound.
5. (biology) A change to an organism as a result of its environment that is not transmissable to offspring. [from 19th c.]
   • Due to his sunbathing, Jim's body experienced modifications: he got a tan.
6. (linguistics) a change to a word when it is borrowed by another language
   • The Chinese word "kòu tóu" had a modification made to become the English "kowtow".

Related terms

• modify
• modifier

Translations

Further reading

• modification in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• modification in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• domification

French

Etymology

From Latin modific?ti?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m?.di.fi.ka.sj??/

Noun

modification f (plural modifications)

1. modification

   Synonyms: altération, transformation

Related terms

• modifiable
• modificateur
• modifier
• modifieur

Further reading

• “modification” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).