differentiation

[dif-uh-ren-shee-ey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act or process of differentiating, or the state of being differentiated.

2. Mathematics.,  the operation of finding the differential or derivative of a function.

3. Biology.,  the process by which cells or tissues change from relatively generalized to specialized kinds, during development.

differentiation

/ ˌdɪfəˌrɛnʃɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act, process, or result of differentiating

2. maths an operation used in calculus in which the derivative of a function or variable is determined; the inverse of integration See integration

3. any process in which a mixture of materials separates out partially or completely into its constituent parts, as in the cooling and solidification of a magma into two or more different rock types or in the gradual separation of an originally homogeneous earth into crust, mantle, and core

differentiation

1. In calculus, the process of computing the derivative of a function.

2. Compare integration

3. The process by which cells or parts of an organism change during development to serve a specific function. The cells of an animal in its early embryonic phase, for example, are identical at first but develop by differentiation into specific tissues, such as bone, heart muscle, and skin. The factors determining the differentiation of any particular cell are not well understood, but in deuterostomes (vertebrates and other complex animals) they include the location of the cell relative to other cells.

Word History and Origins

Origin of differentiation¹

First recorded in 1800–10; differentiat(e) + -ion

Example Sentences

The Thai company’s competitive advantages remain with its in-house designs, fast product turnover, product differentiation and lower product prices.

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“The new initiatives eliminate key points of differentiation from competitors and risk alienating a segment of the traditional customer base,” Gimme Credit analyst Jay Cushing wrote in a note earlier this month.

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One promising strategy focuses on stimulating neuronal differentiation, the process of forming new neurons that could replace those lost and potentially slow or counteract neurodegeneration.

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And there isn’t much differentiation currently, so it’s easy to switch, which makes these models—OpenAI or Anthropic—ultimately a commodity that should at best earn marginal profits!

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“If you do have differentiation and strong clinical data in a space of high strategic interest, we’re seeing pharma move quickly,” Khalil said.

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