differentia

dif·fer·en·tia

noun \ˌdif-ə-ˈren-ch(ē-)ə\

plural dif·fer·en·ti·ae \-chē-ˌē, -chē-ˌī\

Definition of DIFFERENTIA

: the element, feature, or factor that distinguishes one entity, state, or class from another; especially : a characteristic trait distinguishing a species from other species of the same genus