LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird conjugation, suppletive

differō

differō (present infinitive differre, perfect active distulī, supine dīlātum)
Classical[ˈdɪf.fɛ.roː]Ecclesiastical[ˈdif.fe.ro]
dīlātus perf. pass. ptcp.№ 880 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. suppletivetransitiveto carry different ways, spread, scatter, disperse, separate
    Dum differtur vīta trānscurrit.While [one’s attention] is scattered, life rushes past. [Alternatively, in context:] While [our moral improvement] is delayed, life runs away.c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca Minor, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium 1.1.3
  2. figurativelysuppletivetransitiveto distract, disquiet or disturb someone; confound
  3. figurativelysuppletivetransitiveto spread, publish, circulate, divulge; cry down, defame
  4. figurativelysuppletivetransitiveto defer, put off, protract, delay, adjourn
    Spēs quae differtur adflīgit animam: lignum vītae dēsīderium veniēns.Hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul: desire when it cometh, is a tree of life. (Douay-Rheims trans., Challoner rev.: 1752 CE)c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Proverbs.13.12
  5. intransitivesuppletiveto be different, differ, vary
    Hī omnēs linguā, īnstitūtīs, lēgibus inter sē differunt.These all differ from each other in language, customs, and laws.c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico 1.1

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

in aliud tempus pōnō; etiam: nōn similis sum.
differō -ferre distulī — in Mille Verba, Basilica et Iūs

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Differre · Proferre · Procrastinare · Prorogare

1. Differre denotes delay in a negative sense, whereby a thing is not done at present, but laid aside; whereas proferre and procrastinare, delay in a positive sense, as that which is to take place at a future time; proferre refers to some other time in general; procrastinare, to the very next opportunity. 2. Differre denotes an action, the beginning of which is put off; prorogare, a condition or state, the ending of which is put off, as to protract. (vi. 102.)

Conjugation conjugation 3

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.differōdifferēbamdifferamdistulīdistuleramdistulerō
2nd sg.differsdifferēbāsdifferēsdistulistīdistulerāsdistuleris
3rd sg.differtdifferēbatdifferetdistulitdistuleratdistulerit
1st pl.differimusdifferēbāmusdifferēmusdistulimusdistulerāmusdistulerimus
2nd pl.differtisdifferēbātisdifferētisdistulistisdistulerātisdistuleritis
3rd pl.differuntdifferēbantdifferentdistulērunt
distulēre
distulerantdistulerint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.differamdifferremdistulerimdistulissem
2nd sg.differāsdifferrēsdistulerīsdistulissēs
3rd sg.differatdifferretdistuleritdistulisset
1st pl.differāmusdifferrēmusdistulerīmusdistulissēmus
2nd pl.differātisdifferrētisdistulerītisdistulissētis
3rd pl.differantdifferrentdistulerintdistulissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.differordifferēbardifferar
2nd sg.differris
differre
differēbāris
differēbāre
differēris
differēre
3rd sg.differturdifferēbāturdifferētur
1st pl.differimurdifferēbāmurdifferēmur
2nd pl.differiminīdifferēbāminīdifferēminī
3rd pl.differunturdifferēbanturdifferentur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.differardifferrer
2nd sg.differāris
differāre
differrēris
differrēre
3rd sg.differāturdifferrētur
1st pl.differāmurdifferrēmur
2nd pl.differāminīdifferrēminī
3rd pl.differanturdifferrentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.differdifferre
pres. 2nd pl.differtedifferiminī
fut. 2nd sg.differtōdiffertor
fut. 3rd sg.differtōdiffertor
fut. 2nd pl.differtōte—
fut. 3rd pl.differuntōdifferuntor
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivedifferredifferrī
perfect infinitivedistulissedīlātum esse
future infinitivedīlātūrum essedīlātum īrī
present participledifferēns—
perfect participle—dīlātus
dīlāta, dīlātā, dīlātae, dīlātam, dīlātārum, dīlātās, dīlāte, dīlātī, dīlātīs, dīlātō, dīlātōrum, dīlātōs
future participledīlātūrus
dīlātūra, dīlātūrā, dīlātūrae, dīlātūram, dīlātūrārum, dīlātūrās, dīlātūre, dīlātūrī, dīlātūrīs, dīlātūrō, dīlātūrōrum, dīlātūrōs, dīlātūrum
differendus
differundus, differenda, differendā, differendae, differendam, differendārum, differendās, differende, differendīs, differendōrum, differendōs
gerunddifferendī, differendō, differendumsupinedīlātum, dīlātū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

diem ex die ducere, differre
to put off from one day to another.
ventus ignem distulit (B. G. 5. 43)
the wind spread the conflagration.
genere, non numero or magnitudine differre
to differ qualitatively not quantitatively.
aliquid in aliud tempus, in posterum differre
to put off till another time; to postpone.

dif-fĕro, distŭli, dīlātum, differre (
I. inf. differrier, Lucr. 1, 1088. In tmesi: disque tulissent, Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 14), v. a. and n.
I. Act., to carry different ways; to spread abroad, scatter, disperse, separate (cf.: reicere, proferre, procrastinare, producere, ampliare, prorogare—class.).
A. Lit.: scintillas agere ac late differre favillam, Lucr. 2, 675; cf.: favillam longe (ventus), id. 6, 692: nubila (vis venti), id. 1, 273; Verg. G. 3, 197: ignem (ventus), Caes. B. C. 2, 14, 2: casae venti magnitudine ignem distulerunt, id. B. G. 5, 43, 2: majorem partem classis (vis Africi), Vell. 2, 79, 2: rudentes fractosque remos (Eurus), Hor. Epod. 10, 6 et saep.; cf. Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 14: nos cum scapha tempestas dextrovorsum Differt ab illis, id. Rud. 2, 3, 39; cf. Lucr. 1, 1088: cytisum, to plant apart, in separate rows = disserere, digerere, Varr. R. R. 1, 43; Col. 11, 3, 30 sq.; 38; 42 al.; cf.: ulmos in versum, Verg. G. 4, 144: ut formicae frustillatim (te) differant, Plaut. Curc. 4, 4, 20; cf.: insepulta membra (lupi), Hor. Epod. 5, 99; and: Mettum in diversa (quadrigae), Verg. A. 8, 643. —
B. Trop.
1. To distract, disquiet, disturb a person (only ante-class.): vorsor in amoris rota miser, Exanimor, feror, differor, distrahor, diripior, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 5: differor clamore, id. Ep. 1, 2, 15: cupidine ejus, id. Poen. 1, 1, 28; cf.: amore istius, id. Mil. 4, 4, 27: laetitia, id. Truc. 4, 1, 3: doloribus, Ter. Ad. 3, 4, 40.—Less freq. act.: aliquem dictis, to confound, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 125; cf. Ter. And. 2, 4, 5 Ruhnk.—
2. To spread abroad, publish, divulge; with a personal object, to cry down, to defame (mostly anteclass. and post-Aug.; not in Cic., Caes., or Sall.).
(a). With acc. rei: cum de me ista foris sermonibus differs, Lucil. ap. Non. 284, 16; cf.: rumores famam differant licebit nosque carpant, Varr. ib. 18: commissam libertatem populo Rom. sermonibus, Liv. 34, 49: promissum jus anulorum fama distulit, Suet. Caes. 33.—With acc. and inf.: ne mi hanc famam differant, Me dedidisse, etc., Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 63; Ter. Heaut. prol. 16; Nep. Dion. 10; Val. Fl. 1, 753.—With quasi and dependent clause: rumore ab obtrectatoribus dilato, quasi eundem mox et discruciatum necasset, Suet. Aug. 14 et saep.—Pass. impers.: quo pertinuit differri etiam per externos, tamquam veneno interceptus esset, Tac. A. 3, 12; cf. id. ib. 4, 25.—
(b). With acc. pers.: aliquem pipulo, Plaut. Aul. 3, 2, 32 (cf. Varr. L. L. 7, § 103 Müll., and see pipulum): aliquem maledicendo sermonibus, Lucil. ap. Non. 284, 24: dominos variis rumoribus, Tac. A. 1, 4: te circum omnes alias puellas, to bring into disrepute with them, Prop. 1, 4, 22.—In the pass.: differor sermone miser, Caecil. ap. Gell. 2, 93, 10: alterna differor invidia, Prop. 1, 16, 48.—
3. With reference to time, to defer, put off, protract, delay any thing; with a personal object also to put off, amuse with promises, get rid of (class. and very freq.).
(a). With acc. rei: cetera praesenti sermoni reserventur: hoc tamen non queo differre, etc., Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 8: differre quotidie ac procrastinare rem, id. Rosc. Am. 9 fin.: saepe vadimonia, id. Quint. 5 fin.: iter in praesentia, Caes. B. C. 3, 85, 4: pleraque (with omittere in praesens tempus), Hor. A. P. 44: distulit ira sitim, Ov. M. 6, 366 et saep.: differri jam hora non potest, Cic. Phil. 6, 7, 19: tempus, id. ib. 8, 8; id. Prov. Cons. 11 fin.; Liv. 3, 46; Ov. M. 1, 724 al.: diem de die, Liv. 25, 25 et saep.—With inf.: quaerere distuli, Hor. Od. 4, 4, 21; so Liv. 42, 2 (but not Suet. Caes. 81, where agere belongs to proposuerat, cf. id. Aug. 72; id. Calig. 49).—With quin: nihil dilaturi, quin periculum summae rerum facerent, Liv. 6, 22 fin.; so Suet. Caes. 4; with in and acc.: reliqua in crastinum, Cic. Rep. 2, 44 fin.: in posterum diem, id. Deiot. 7, 21; cf. Caes. B. C. 1, 65 fin.: in posterum, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 32; Caes. B. G. 7, 11, 5: in aliud tempus, Cic. Brut. 87; Caes. B. C. 1, 86, 2: in adventum tuum, Cic. Fam. 2, 3 fin.: diem edicti in a. d. IV. Kal. Dec., id. Phil. 3, 8, 20: curandi tempus in annum, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 39 et saep. —Poet.: tropaea in pueros suos, to reserve for, Prop. 4, 6, 82.—Rarely with ad: aliquid ad crudelitatis tempus, Cic. Vat. 11 fin.; cf. the foll.—
(b). With acc. pers.: sin autem differs me in tempus aliud, Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 10; Liv. 26, 51; 41, 8: differri non posse adeo concitatos animos, id. 7, 14: dilatus per frustrationem, id. 25, 25; cf.: aliquem variis frustrationibus, Just. 9, 6 fin.: Campanos, Liv. 26, 33: aliquem petentem, Suet. Vesp. 23 Ern.: caros amicos (opp. properare), Mart. 13, 55 et saep.— Poet.: vivacem anum, to preserve alive, i. e. to postpone her death, Ov. M. 13, 519; cf.: decimum dilatus in annum (belli) Hector erat, id. ib. 12, 76: aliquem in spem impetrandi tandem honoris, Liv. 39, 32: aliquem in septimum diem, Suet. Tib. 32; id. Caes. 82 Oud.; id. Aug. 44 fin. et saep.— Rarely with ad: legati ad novos magistratus dilati, Liv. 41, 8: aliquem ad finem muneris, Suet. Vit. 12: quas (legationes) par tim dato responso ex itinere dimisit, partim distulit Tarraconem, Liv. 26, 51.—Once with post: aliquid post bellum differre, Liv. 4, 6, 4.—
(g). Absol. Prov.: differ; habent parvae commoda magna morae, Ov. F. 3, 394.
II. Neut., to differ, be different (esp. freq. since the Ciceron. period—cf.: discrepare, distare, interesse): qui re consentientes vocabulis differebant, Cic. Fin. 4, 2 fin.; cf.: naturis differunt, voluntate autem similes sunt, id. de Or. 2, 23: verbo differre, re esse unum, id. Caecin. 21, 59: distare aliquid aut ex aliqua parte differre, id. ib. 14: nihil aut non fere multum differre, id. Brut. 40 fin.: paulum differre, id. Agr. 2, 31, 85 et saep.: nec quicquam differre, utrumne ... an, etc., Hor. S. 2, 3, 251; cf.: quid enim differt, barathrone Dones quicquid habes, an? etc., id. ib. 166.—
(b). With ab: ita ut pauxillum differat a cavillulis, Plaut. Truc. 3, 2, 18: quidnam esset illud, quo ipsi (poëtae) differrent ab oratoribus, Cic. Or. 19, 66; id. Off. 1, 27 fin.: quid hoc ab illo differt? id. Caecin. 14: non multum ab hostili expugnatione, id. de Imp. Pomp. 5 fin.: multum a Gallica consuetudine, Caes. B. G. 5, 14; cf. ib. 6, 21; 6, 28, 5: hoc fere ab reliquis differunt, quod, etc., id. ib. 6, 18, 3 et saep.—
(g). With inter (esp. impers.): si nihil inter deum et deum differt, Cic. N. D. 1, 29, 80; id. Off. 1, 28, 99; id. Fin. 4, 25, 70: nequid inter privatum et magistratum differat, id. Rep. 1, 43: ut non multum differat inter summos et mediocres viros, id. Off. 2, 8, 30: multa sunt alia, quae inter locum et locum plurimum differunt (for which, shortly before, inter locorum naturas quantum intersit), id. Fat. 4: haec cogitatione inter se differunt, re quidem copulata sunt, id. Tusc. 4, 11: inter se aliqua re, id. Opt. gen. 2, 6; id. N. D. 1, 7, 16; Caes. B. G. 1, 1, 2; 6, 11, 1; Quint. 12, 10, 22; 34; 67 et saep.: quae quidem inter se plurimum differunt, id. 5, 14, 27.—
(d). Rarely with cum: occasio cum tempore hoc differt, Cic. Inv. 1, 27: hoc genus causae cum superiore hoc differt, quod, etc., id. ib. 2, 30, 92 Orell. N. cr.—(ε) Likewise rarely, differre in aliqua re, Lucr. 3, 314; Nep. Ages. 7 fin.—(ζ) Rarely, and only poet. or in post-Aug. prose, with dat.: quod pede certo Differt sermoni sermo merus, Hor. S. 1, 4, 48: tragico differre colori, id. A. P. 236; Quint. 2, 21, 10; Plin. 9, 35, 54, § 107; cf. id. 9, 8, 7, § 23.—Hence, diffĕ-rens, entis, P. a., different, superior: differentius nomen, a more excellent name, Vulg. Heb. 1, 4; in Quintilian subst. n. (opp. proprium), a difference, Quint. 5, 10, 55; 58; 6, 3, 66; 7, 3, 3; 25 sq.—*Adv.: diffĕren-ter, differently, Sol. 1.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  2. Latindifferō

Proto-Indo-European *trísinflu. Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti Proto-Italic *ferō Latin ferō Latin differō From dis- (“apart”) + ferō (“carry, bear”).

Borrowed
  • Catalandiferir
  • Englishdiffer
  • Englishdefer
  • Englishdilate
  • Frenchdifférer
  • Italiandifferire
  • Portuguesediferir
  • Romaniandiferi
  • Spanishdiferir
  • Galiciandiferir
Inherited
  • Old Occitandeferir

In English words that came into English from differō

  • differentdifferēns
  • differencedifferentia
  • indifferentindifferens
  • differdifferō
  • deferdifferō
  • differentiationdifferō
  • differentialdifferentiālis
  • dilatorydīlātōrius
  • differentiadifferentia
  • dilatedīlātus

Quick answers

What does differō mean in Latin?
differō, a verb, means “to carry different ways, spread, scatter, disperse, separate; to distract, disquiet or disturb someone; confound”.
What are the principal parts of differō?
differō, differre, distulī, dīlātum (third conjugation, suppletive).
How do you pronounce differō?
In classical Latin, [ˈdɪf.fɛ.roː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈdif.fe.ro].
Where does differō come from?
Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ → Latin differō.
Which English words come from differō?
English words that go back to Latin differō include different, differ, defer, differentiation, dilate and difference.