VividLex

Home / Thesaurus / differential

Thesaurus: differential

Relating to or indicating a difference; creating a difference; discriminating; special; as, differential characteristics; differential duties; a differential rate.

Full dictionary entry Search Lens associations

Related headwords

Definitions

  1. a. Relating to or indicating a difference; creating a difference; discriminating; special; as, differential characteristics; differential duties; a differential rate.
  2. a. Of or pertaining to a differential, or to differentials.
  3. a. Relating to differences of motion or leverage; producing effects by such differences; said of mechanism.
  4. n. An increment, usually an indefinitely small one, which is given to a variable quantity.
  5. n. A small difference in rates which competing railroad lines, in establishing a common tariff, allow one of their number to make, in order to get a fair share of the business. The lower rate is called a differential rate. Differentials are also sometimes granted to cities.
  6. n. One of two coils of conducting wire so related to one another or to a magnet or armature common to both, that one coil produces polar action contrary to that of the other.
  7. n. A form of conductor used for dividing and distributing the current to a series of electric lamps so as to maintain equal action in all.
  8. adj. relating to or showing a difference
  9. adj. involving or containing one or more derivatives
  10. n. the result of mathematical differentiation; the instantaneous change of one quantity relative to another; df(x)/dx
  11. n. a quality that differentiates between similar things
  12. n. a bevel gear that permits rotation of two shafts at different speeds; used on the rear axle of automobiles to allow wheels to rotate at different speeds on curves