dis-

apart, away; reversal or negation

Forms

dis-
di- — Shortened in certain Latin compounds.
dif- — Used before f in Latin.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *dis, ‘apart,’ associated with the idea of ‘two.’

Note

Separating things supplied a route from physical apartness to undoing an action.

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adjective / noun

differential

dif-uh-REN-shul/dˌɪfɝˈɛnʃʌl/

Relating to a difference between amounts or cases.

The bracket marks the temperature differential between the two thermometers.

Two simple thermometers at different fluid heights with a short bracket between levels labelled only 'ΔT', functional difference comparison.

Etymology

difLatinapart, away; reversal or negation

+ferLatinbear, carry, bring

+entiLatina state or quality

+alLatinof, relating to

The “carry apart” roots developed into the idea of a distinction. The adjective ending makes differential describe something concerned with that distinction; its early sense was “making or exhibiting a difference.”

In context

AJMCtv MJH1:00

in some diseases they are they have had substantial benefit but in others the benefits are much more modest and I think we need to account for that differential benefit with differential pricing

Dr Scott Ramsey Addresses the Need for Differential Pricing Structures for Drugs

More examples

Night workers receive a pay differential for the late hours.
The policy has differential effects on small and large businesses.
The museum uses differential pricing to offer students cheaper tickets.

Forms

differential · differentials

Similar words

difference: A broader term for any way things are unlike.
gap: Emphasizes the size of a separation between amounts or levels.