differentiate

verb

dif·fer·en·ti·ate | \ ˌdi-fə-ˈren(t)-shē-ˌāt

differentiated; differentiating

Definition of differentiate

1 mathematics : to obtain the mathematical derivative (see derivative entry 1 sense 3) of

2 : to mark or show a difference in : constitute a contrasting element that distinguishes features that differentiate the twins how we differentiate ourselves from our competitors

3 : to develop differential or distinguishing characteristics in What differentiated a laborer from another man …— Sherwood Anderson

4 biology : to cause differentiation (see differentiation sense 3b) of in the course of development cells that are differentiated from stem cells

5 : to express the specific distinguishing quality of : discriminate differentiate poetry and prose

intransitive verb

1 : to recognize or give expression to a difference difficult to differentiate between the two

2 : to become distinct or different in character

3 biology : to undergo differentiation (see differentiation sense 3b) when the cells begin to differentiate

Other Words from differentiate Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about differentiate

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Other Words from differentiate

differentiability \ ˌdi-fə-ˌren(t)-sh(ē-)ə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

differentiable \ ˌdi-fə-ˈren(t)-sh(ē-)ə-bəl

\ adjective

Examples of differentiate in a Sentence

The only thing that differentiates the twins is the color of their eyes. it was hard at first to differentiate between the two styles of music

Recent Examples on the Web To begin to answer these questions, a necessary first step is to differentiate between something that is complicated from something that is complex. — Gabriel A. Silva, Forbes, "What The Human Brain And Ants Have In Common," 19 Apr. 2021 There are actually 9 species of blue-eyed grass that are found in Arkansas, and the species are hard to differentiate. — Janet Carson, Arkansas Online, "Four new mystery plants revealed this week," 18 Apr. 2021 Here are four ways to differentiate between a migraine and stroke. — Janissa Delzo, SELF, "4 Major Differences Between Strokes and Migraines," 2 Apr. 2021 Alpina has never seen reason to differentiate between luxury and high-performance vehicles, and that’s no less true of its latest confection. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, "The New 612 HP BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupé Is as Powerful as It Is Luxurious," 25 Mar. 2021 Public health officials expect those numbers to rise as the state bolsters its capacity for genomic sequencing, the testing necessary to differentiate between coronavirus strains. — Alex Mann, baltimoresun.com, "Where does Maryland stand a year after COVID arrived? Pandemic may end soon, but keep your mask on.," 5 Mar. 2021 Council members Jeremy Schroeder and Cam Gordon asked about standards for using less-lethal weapons, while Steve Fletcher asked whether officers received training to differentiate between peaceful protesters and extremists seeking to cause havoc. — Liz Navratil, Star Tribune, "Planned police presence during Derek Chauvin trial draws criticism from some Minneapolis leaders," 2 Mar. 2021 Teams do not always explain why players are absent, or even differentiate between illness and injury. — Nathan Baird, cleveland, "With Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz’s positive rapid test for COVID-19, Big Ten plan faces early scrutiny," 25 Oct. 2020 In normal mouse pregnancies, when the embryo implants in the wall of the uterus, the placenta starts to form, and the embryo’s cells start to differentiate into more specific types of stem cells that will form different tissues. — Gretchen Vogel, Science | AAAS, "Mouse embryos grown in bottles form organs and limbs," 17 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'differentiate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.