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dedifferentiation

American  
[dee-dif-uh-ren-shee-ey-shuhn] / diˌdɪf əˌrɛn ʃiˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

Biology.

  1. a process by which structures or behaviors that were specialized for a specific function lose their specialization and become simplified or generalized.

dedifferentiation British  
/ diːˌdɪfəˌrɛnʃɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

  1. the reversion of the cells of differentiated tissue to a less specialized form

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dedifferentiation

First recorded in 1915–20; de- + differentiation ( def. )

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.