differentiate

[ dif-uh-ren-shee-eyt ]

/ ˌdɪf əˈrɛn ʃiˌeɪt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: differentiate / differentiated / differentiates / differentiating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), dif·fer·en·ti·at·ed, dif·fer·en·ti·at·ing.

to form or mark differently from other such things; distinguish.

to change; alter.

to perceive the difference in or between.

to make different by modification, as a biological species.

Mathematics. to obtain the differential or the derivative of.

verb (used without object), dif·fer·en·ti·at·ed, dif·fer·en·ti·at·ing.

to become unlike or dissimilar; change in character.

to make a distinction.

Biology. (of cells or tissues) to change from relatively generalized to specialized kinds, during development.

OTHER WORDS FOR differentiate

1 set off.

3 separate.

See synonyms for differentiate on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of differentiate

First recorded in 1810–20; from Medieval Latin differentiātus distinguished (past participle of differentiāre ), equivalent to Latin different(ia) difference + -ātus -ate¹

synonym study for differentiate

1. See distinguish.

OTHER WORDS FROM differentiate

dif·fer·en·ti·a·tion, nounin·ter·dif·fer·en·ti·ate, verb (used with object), in·ter·dif·fer·en·ti·at·ed, in·ter·dif·fer·en·ti·at·ing.re·dif·fer·en·ti·ate, verb, re·dif·fer·en·ti·at·ed, re·dif·fer·en·ti·at·ing.self-dif·fer·en·ti·at·ing, adjective

un·dif·fer·en·ti·at·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use differentiate in a sentence

Let’s go through a list of most popular platforms and see what differentiates them from one another.
How social media influence 71% consumer buying decisions|Aleh Barysevich|November 20, 2020|Search Engine Watch
A fancam is so named to differentiate the fan’s camerawork from the official camerawork of an event.
Election week memes turned the 2020 presidential race into K-pop-style fandom|Aja Romano|November 9, 2020|Vox
Over time, if you pay close attention to how you feel, what you do in response, and what you get out of it, you’ll become better at differentiating between real and fake fatigue.
Why You're Tired All the Time|Brad Stulberg|November 5, 2020|Outside Online
There’s just not much to differentiate them, and that’s a good thing.
iPhone 12 and 12 Pro double review: Playing Apple’s greatest hits|Samuel Axon|October 29, 2020|Ars Technica

The lottery also fails to differentiate between children with low special education needs and those with the highest need, the letter said.
Principals critical of D.C. school system’s plan to reopen elementary schools|Perry Stein|October 28, 2020|Washington Post
The cuts in standard works upon diseases of the skin will aid in differentiating the members of the group.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Being strictly impartial and truthful, he gave up the effort of differentiating and smiled.
Hopalong Cassidy's Rustler Round-Up|Clarence Edward Mulford
Especially apparent is the differentiating influence of difference of soils.
Influences of Geographic Environment|Ellen Churchill Semple
A corner-stone of Weismann's theory is his assumption of nuclear divisions which are differentiating.
The Biological Problem of To-day|Oscar Hertwig
The one kind is denoted as integral, or doubling division; the other as differential, or differentiating division.
The Biological Problem of To-day|Oscar Hertwig

British Dictionary definitions for differentiate

differentiate

/ (ˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃɪˌeɪt) /

verb

(tr) to serve to distinguish between

(when intr, often foll by between) to perceive, show, or make a difference (in or between); discriminate

(intr) to become dissimilar or distinct

maths to perform a differentiation on (a quantity, expression, etc)

(intr) (of unspecialized cells, etc) to change during development to more specialized forms

Derived forms of differentiate

differentiator, noun

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

differentiate

OTHER WORDS FOR differentiate

Origin of differentiate

synonym study for differentiate

OTHER WORDS FROM differentiate

Words related to differentiate

How to use differentiate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for differentiate

Derived forms of differentiate