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
Synonym Usage
See distinguish.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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differentiationnoun
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interdifferentiateverb (used with object)
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undifferentiatedadjective
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differentiatornoun
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self-differentiatingadjective
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redifferentiateverb
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has differentiatedperfect 3rd person singular
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have differentiatedperfect
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am differentiatingprogressive 1st person singular
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is differentiatingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are differentiatingprogressive
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have been differentiatingperfect progressive
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has been differentiatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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differentiatessingular 3rd person
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differentiatingparticiple
Past
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had differentiatedperfect
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were differentiatingprogressive plural
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had been differentiatingperfect progressive
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was differentiatingprogressive singular
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differentiatedsimple
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differentiatedparticiple
Future
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
Explanation
To differentiate is to identify the differences between things, to discriminate among them. For example, if the light is dim at the party, you might find it hard to differentiate between the spicy bean dip and the chocolate sauce. You can see different in differentiate. This will help you remember that it has to do with finding how things are different, or making them different. For example, identical twins look alike but if you get to know them, personality traits, speech patterns and their likes and dislikes help differentiate one from another. Also, when you wear a team uniform the number on your back helps coaches differentiate between teammates when everyone is playing fast.
Vocabulary lists containing differentiate
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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.
And Stirling Council said its health and safety system did not differentiate between assaults on pupils and assaults on teachers until it made a change earlier this year.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
“The automotive interiors industry is evolving rapidly as manufacturers increasingly differentiate their vehicles through cabin design, premium materials and new technologies,” Michael Reiss, private-equity partner at Apollo, said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
To make sense of this result, it’s important to differentiate fund flows as a coincident indicator and as a leading indicator.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026
“After months of indiscriminate selling, we believe investors will start to differentiate between long-term winners and losers in private markets,” Vontobel analyst Arben Hasanaj writes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
In the United States, football and basketball don’t select, stream, and differentiate quite as dramatically.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
