differentia
Americannoun
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differentiae
plural
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the character or attribute by which one species is distinguished from all others of the same genus.
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the character or basic factor by which one entity is distinguished from another.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of differentia
From Latin, dating back to 1820–30; see origin at difference
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Animal” names the general class, and “reasoning” is the differentia which separates “man” from other “animals.”
From English: Composition and Literature by W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
This something has been called—after the analogy of the differentia specifica which differentiates species within a genus—the differentia individua of the individual.
From Ontology or the Theory of Being by Peter Coffey
Such an idea has the differentia of intelligence.
From Creative Intelligence Essays in the Pragmatic Attitude by Boyd H. Bode
Find the genus and differentia in the definition of “a good book of the hour.”
From English: Composition and Literature by W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
Disinterestedness not the differentia of aesthetic pleasure, 37 et seq.
From The Sense of Beauty Being the Outlines of Aesthetic Theory by George Santayana
It is the mark of substances and of differentiae that, in all propositions of which they form the predicate, they are predicated univocally.
From The Categories by E. M. Edghill
The Vicar, you must understand, had done his best to inculcate the recognised differentiae of a gentleman.
From The Wonderful Visit by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
But it is also essential to the understanding of this thesis that the differentiae of the hereditary factors should be clearly grasped.
From Darwin and Modern Science by A. C. (Albert Charles) Seward
Similarly, the definition of the differentiae will be applicable to the species and to the individuals.
From The Categories by E. M. Edghill
All people can see this; but not all people can see further, or define the differentiae.
From Thoughts on Religion by Charles Gore
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
