differentiation

American  

[dif-uh-ren-shee-ay-shuhn] / ˌdɪf əˌrɛn ʃiˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

• differentiations
  plural

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.

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differentiation British  

/ 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

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differentiation Scientific  

/ dĭf′ə-rĕn′shē-ā′shən /

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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• differentiations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of differentiation

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

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Explanation

Differentiation is how someone or something is set apart from others. If you make a differentiation between one brand of toothpaste and another, you point out how they're distinct. You can see the word different in differentiation. The -tion ending tips you off that differentiation is the noun form of different: differentiation refers to the differences themselves. Suppose two very similar movies come out at the same time. The studios will work to achieve differentiation in the films' trailers, with one highlighting the chemistry between the romantic leads and the other showing moments of slap-stick comedy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

differentiation differentiations

The first is commoditization: "the degree of differentiation among advanced AI models may narrow," the company warns.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

Wei added that this was supported by a differentiation in technology products and a broader customer base.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

When Nibs asks founders why they started their company, instead of sharing a story, they’ll launch into three key pillars, the market opportunity and their competitive differentiation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

On “To Catch a Predator,” there is no differentiation between the levels of danger the men pose; no mercy for those who understand they’re sick and desperately plead for rehabilitation.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

This process, the first half of calculus, is now known as differentiation; however, Newton's method of differentiation doesn't look very much like the one we use today.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Unless, we should say, those differentiations are superpowers, as they’re presented in “The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh.”

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2024

Although Eritreans supporting the regime would not appear to be in need of international protection as refugees, the authorities in Israel have not made differentiations between asylum seekers based on their political affiliations until now.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2023

His advice was simple: Look for as many specifics as possible, including time frames for increasing activity, benchmarks against which increases can be measured, and clear differentiations between charity and business.

From New York Times ● Oct. 21, 2022

But he was swamped with questions about how an officer might make such differentiations.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 24, 2021

The free-swimming embryo of an aquatic annelid, being ovate and not ciliated all over, moves with one end foremost; and its differentiations proceed in conformity with this contrast of circumstances.

From Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative, Vol. I by Herbert Spencer

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