differentiation

[ dif-uh-ren-shee-ey-shuhn ]

noun

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

differentiation

/ ˌdɪfəˌrɛnʃɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act, process, or result of differentiating
2. See integration
   maths an operation used in calculus in which the derivative of a function or variable is determined; the inverse of integration See integration
3. 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

differentiation

/ dĭf′ə-rĕn′shē-ā′shən /

1. In calculus, the process of computing the derivative of a function.
2. Compare integration
3. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of differentiation¹

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

Example Sentences

Cell differentiation is evidently not a one-way street, as previously believed.

From Nautilus

Meanwhile, many department store chains made the wrong bets, investing more heavily in store expansion while underinvesting in merchandise differentiation and e-commerce strategies.

From Vox

Its main differentiation from MOOCs is that it’s live and has teacher assistants.

From TechCrunch

Jiko’s unusual, slow-and-steady approach isn’t its only point of differentiation.

From Fortune

It’s a far more aggressive point of differentiation than Microsoft is actively signalling in the marketplace now.

From Digiday

The answer: standing apart (self-differentiation was the term he used) and staying connected.

From The Daily Beast

Stem cell differentiation involves a plethora of regulatory factors and signals that are in a constant state of flux.

From The Daily Beast

The result is a great deal of imitation, combined with small efforts at differentiation and innovation.

From The Daily Beast

In the summer, tomatoes rule the kitchen, even if few know how to prepare them with any differentiation.

From The Daily Beast

Besides the differentiation of germ-cells there are rather obvious differences in the bodies of the two sexes.

From Project Gutenberg

In other words, what is the nature of the process of differentiation into male and female which it sets in motion?

From Project Gutenberg

There must be a differentiation between them, and a differentiation that will clearly meet the various uses to which they are put.

From Project Gutenberg

It is worthy of note that as the distance away from the center of differentiation increases, the number of species decreases.

From Project Gutenberg

A secondary center of differentiation is apparent in the low, hot valleys of central California.

From Project Gutenberg