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social differentiation

American  

noun

Sociology.
  1. the distinction made between social groups and persons on the basis of biological, physiological, and sociocultural factors, as sex, age, or ethnicity, resulting in the assignment of roles and status within a society.


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.

"But the fact that we do have different sizes it you know it begs the question if there is some social differentiation sitting behind that," he said.

From BBC • Jan. 1, 2026

Increasing exchange between Neolithic cultures and the prominence of war may also have led to greater social differentiation.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

Evidence from the few discovered burial sites dating to around 2000 BCE supports the suggestion that wealth contributed to social differentiation even then.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

Regardless of the difference in languages, language use is probably the common experience through which natural changes are acknowledged and social differentiation effected.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai

How far, then, must the social differentiation have gone to warrant the assertion that the second prerequisite is an accomplished fact?

From Our Revolution Essays on Working-Class and International Revolution, 1904-1917 by Trotzky, Leon Davidovich

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