differentiation

[dif-uh-ren-shee-ey-shuh n]

See more synonyms for differentiation on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act or process of differentiating, or the state of being differentiated.
Mathematics. the operation of finding the differential or derivative of a function.
Biology. the process by which cells or tissues change from relatively generalized to specialized kinds, during development.

Origin of differentiation

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for differentiation

discrimination, separation, contrast, discernment

Examples from the Web for differentiation

Contemporary Examples of differentiation

The result is a great deal of imitation, combined with small efforts at differentiation and innovation.
Frozen-Yogurt Shops Are Everywhere, but We Are Nowhere Near Saturation
Daniel Gross
July 19, 2013
In the summer, tomatoes rule the kitchen, even if few know how to prepare them with any differentiation.
The Only Food That Matters
Katie Workman
August 18, 2009

Historical Examples of differentiation

We have here one of the earliest examples of differentiation.
The Truth About Woman
C. Gasquoine Hartley
It contains the three elements; integration, differentiation and equilibration.
Evolution in Modern Thought
Ernst Haeckel
At this period the differentiation of the groups begins to be marked.
Researches on Cellulose
C. F. Cross
Language is simultaneously a medium of uniformity and a means of differentiation.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin
Signs and tools are elements that were integrated in differentiation.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin

British Dictionary definitions for differentiation

differentiation

noun

the act, process, or result of differentiating
maths an operation used in calculus in which the derivative of a function or variable is determined; the inverse of integrationSee integration (def. 6)
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

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

differentiation in Medicine

differentiation

[dĭf′ə-rĕn′shē-ā′shən]

The acquisition or possession of a character or function different from that of the original type.specialization
differential diagnosis

differentiation in Science

differentiation

[dĭf′ə-rĕn′shē-ā′shən]

In calculus, the process of computing the derivative of a function. Compare integration.
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.