Meaning & use
unreconciled differences
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Meanings
phraseplural
Disagreements or conflicts that have not been settled or made friendly again.
Grammar: Always plural; you say 'unreconciled differences between people' or 'unreconciled differences over something'.
Patterns
- unreconciled differences between people
- unreconciled differences over something
- leave differences unreconciled
The two brothers still have unreconciled differences about their father's will.
Despite years of talks, there remain unreconciled differences between the two countries.
They decided to part ways because of unreconciled differences in their business approach.
phrasepluralfinance
In accounting, amounts in two sets of records that do not match and have not been adjusted.
Grammar: Used in financial contexts; often appears in reports about audits.
Patterns
- unreconciled differences in accounts
- identify unreconciled differences
The auditor found unreconciled differences between the bank statement and the company's ledger.
We need to investigate the unreconciled differences before closing the books.
Common combinations
- unreconciled differences between
- There are still unreconciled differences between the two parties.
- unreconciled differences over
- They have unreconciled differences over money.
- leave differences unreconciled
- The manager left the differences unreconciled and moved on.
- remain unreconciled
- Some issues remain unreconciled after the meeting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unresolved differences
- Very similar; 'unresolved' is more general and can refer to problems, while 'unreconciled' often implies a need to restore harmony.
- disagreements
- Simpler and more general; 'unreconciled differences' emphasizes that the disagreement has not been settled.
Opposites
Word family
- reconcile verb
- To make people friendly again after a disagreement, or to make two things consistent.
- reconciliation noun
- The process of becoming friendly again or making things consistent.
- unreconciled adjective
- Not made friendly or consistent; not reconciled.
Commonly confused: unreconciled differences or irreconcilable differences?
unreconciled differences vs irreconcilable differences
'Irreconcilable' means impossible to reconcile; 'unreconciled' means not yet reconciled. Irreconcilable differences are permanent, while unreconciled ones might still be settled.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'unreconciled differences' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 is correct because 'unreconciled' means not yet settled, implying they might still be resolved. Option 1 is wrong because 'unreconciled' does not mean permanent; 'irreconcilable' would fit better. Option 2 is contradictory. Option 3 uses 'unreconciled' as a verb, which is incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unreconciled differences”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.