differentiate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to form or mark differently from other such things; distinguish.
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to change; alter.
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to perceive the difference in or between.
- Synonyms:
- separate
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to make different by modification, as a biological species.
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Mathematics. to obtain the differential or the derivative of.
verb (used without object)
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to become unlike or dissimilar; change in character.
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to make a distinction.
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Biology. (of cells or tissues) to change from relatively generalized to specialized kinds, during development.
verb
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(tr) to serve to distinguish between
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to perceive, show, or make a difference (in or between); discriminate
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(intr) to become dissimilar or distinct
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maths to perform a differentiation on (a quantity, expression, etc)
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(intr) (of unspecialized cells, etc) to change during development to more specialized forms
Related Words
See distinguish.
Other Word Forms
- differentiation noun
- differentiator noun
- interdifferentiate verb (used with object)
- redifferentiate verb
- self-differentiating adjective
- undifferentiated adjective
Etymology
Origin of differentiate
First recorded in 1810–20; from Medieval Latin differentiātus distinguished (past participle of differentiāre ), equivalent to Latin different(ia) difference + -ātus -ate 1
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.
So they sought to differentiate themselves based on their experience and records in office.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
It’s also unclear how effectively Adobe will be able to maintain its pricing power and differentiate its business, Bhatia added.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
An important advantage of the test is its ability to differentiate pancreatic cancer from other non-cancerous pancreatic conditions, including pancreatitis.
From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026
Perhaps worse, with Waymo scaling and Nvidia looking to provide robo-taxi brains for car partners, “there is growing sentiment that Tesla may not sustainably differentiate on robo-taxis,” writes Spak.
From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026
I will make sure to differentiate if something comes up.
From "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
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.
