differentiate

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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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 The state also keeps tabs on medical marijuana employees, but does not differentiate between full-time and part-time workers. — cleveland, "Ohio medical marijuana created an estimated 4,275 jobs: report," 7 Feb. 2020 Unfortunately, the current research on PACE does not differentiate by type of calorie. — Washington Post, "Why labeling food items with the exercise needed to burn off their calories is a bad idea," 22 Jan. 2020 Mount Carmel did note that a complicated vaginal birth would cost $5,516, but the other health systems didn’t differentiate their costs that way. — Megan Henry, USA TODAY, "Childbirth costs out-of-pocket are rising at a staggering rate, even with insurance," 13 Jan. 2020 Federal law did not differentiate between hemp and other cannabis plants, such as marijuana. — Sarah Bowman, Indianapolis Star, "Inside the 'wild wild west' of Indiana's first major hemp harvest," 16 Oct. 2019 The study did not differentiate between killings later determined to be justified and those that were not. — NBC News, "Police shootings are a leading cause of death for young black men," 16 Oct. 2019 According to Francie Diep of the New York Times, most humans’ neural foot maps do not differentiate between individual toes. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Inside the Brains of Artists Who Paint With Their Feet," 17 Sep. 2019 Deep scan mode identified objects inside the test wall, yet the StudSensor won’t differentiate between materials. — Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Stud Finders for Any Job," 16 Sep. 2019 The Commerce Department data doesn’t differentiate between profits repatriated from stockpiles preceding the tax law and new profits that companies generated abroad in 2018. — Theo Francis, WSJ, "U.S. Companies Brought Home More Profits From Overseas," 20 June 2019

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.