différeront

Différeront is the third-person plural future tense form of the French verb différer. In this form, it expresses that a group (they) will delay or postpone an action, event, or decision. It can also appear in the sense of differ from something, though that sense is typically expressed with other constructions (différer de). The exact meaning in a sentence depends on the surrounding context.

Etymology and meanings: différer comes from Latin differre, dis- plus ferre, historically meaning to carry in different directions, then to postpone or delay. In modern French, differentiating from something uses the related sense of “to differ” (différer de), while postponement uses the transitive sense “to postpone” or “to delay.”

Conjugation: différer is a regular -er verb in many forms but carries distinct accents in some tenses. The future simple endings are added to the infinitive: je différerai, tu différeras, il différera, nous différerons, vous différerez, ils différeront. Therefore, the form for the plural subject is différeont in isolation, but is properly written as ils différeront.

Usage and style: différer is common in formal, administrative, or literary contexts, where postponement or deliberate delay is being described. In everyday language, reporter or retarder are often preferred for delaying actions, whereas différer de is used to indicate a difference with something else (they will differ from their peers, etc.).

Examples: Ils différeront la mise en œuvre du projet jusqu’au mois prochain. Le résultat différera de nos prévisions. These sentences illustrate postponement and the sense of differing, depending on context.