diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/strenum.h b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/strenum.h
index 0e085e26ff..a590470240 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/strenum.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/strenum.h
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ public:
      * @return TRUE if the enumerations are equal. FALSE if not.
      * @draft ICU 3.6 
      */
-    virtual UBool operator!=(const StringEnumeration& that)const {return !operator==(that);};
+    virtual UBool operator!=(const StringEnumeration& that)const;
 
 protected:
     /**
diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/ustrenum.cpp b/icu4c/source/common/ustrenum.cpp
index 5b5e1ae41e..2a7acf6801 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/ustrenum.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/ustrenum.cpp
@@ -112,10 +112,15 @@ StringEnumeration::setChars(const char *s, int32_t length, UErrorCode &status) {
     return NULL;
 }
 UBool 
-StringEnumeration::operator==(const StringEnumeration& that)const{
+StringEnumeration::operator==(const StringEnumeration& that)const {
     return getDynamicClassID() == that.getDynamicClassID();
 }
 
+UBool
+StringEnumeration::operator!=(const StringEnumeration& that)const {
+    return !operator==(that);
+}
+
 // UStringEnumeration implementation --------------------------------------- ***
 
 UStringEnumeration::UStringEnumeration(UEnumeration* _uenum) :