differentiate

verb dif·fer·en·ti·ate \ ˌdif-ə-ˈren(t)-shē-ˌāt \

Updated on: 22 May 2018

Definition of differentiate

differentiated; differentiating

transitive verb

1 mathematics : to obtain the mathematical derivative (see ¹derivative 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 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 3b)

when the cells begin to differentiate

—

differentiability

play \-ˌren(t)-sh(ē-)ə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

—

differentiable

play \-ˈren(t)-sh(ē-)ə-bəl\ adjective

See differentiate defined for English-language learners

See differentiate defined for kids

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 of differentiate from the Web

Plus, the Nest Aware feature takes security a step further by differentiating from people and pets, customizing activity zones, and more.

— samantha gordon, USA TODAY, "Here are Amazon's 5 best deals right now," 16 May 2018
Robinson said home-networking vendors will be able to comply with EasyMesh and still differentiate their products with unique features or performance.

— michael brown, PCWorld, "Wi-Fi Alliance’s Wi-Fi EasyMesh certification aims to standardize mesh networks," 14 May 2018
Skip ahead to matchup with Charlotte Independence on Saturday night, when FC Cincinnati enters as the USL Eastern Conference leader, and the talent-to-character ratio might seem a littler harder to differentiate.

— charlie hatch, Cincinnati.com, "FC Cincinnati, unbeaten on the road, looking to keep success Saturday in Charlotte," 11 May 2018
However, the researchers found that sharks can’t immediately differentiate between genres.

— elaina zachos, National Geographic, "Sharks Prefer Jazz Over Classical Music, Study Finds," 10 May 2018
As colleges consolidate, those that remain will survive by better differentiating their offerings, said Mitch Daniels, the president of Purdue University and former governor of Indiana.

— jeffrey j. selingo, Washington Post, "The financial forecast for colleges is gloomy. How can they weather the storm?," 4 May 2018
The agency's report doesn't differentiate between spending from tourists and spending from Alaska residents, said Denali National Park and Preserve spokeswoman Katherine Belcher.

— annie zak, Anchorage Daily News, "People spent $1.3 billion visiting Alaska’s national parks last year," 29 Apr. 2018
To differentiate from other, much older, professions that cater to the lonely, Lippin and his co-founder, Madelon Guinazzo, set strict rules on what does and doesn't happen in a session.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Some people are paying for cuddles. And it's not what you might think.," 20 Apr. 2018
In 2004, 2005, a lot of the differentiating power Facebook had was that people came there to be their real selves.

— nate hopper, Time, "Facebook Co-Founder Chris Hughes on His New Book and Whether Zuckerberg Will Run," 15 Feb. 2018

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.