differentiate

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

Updated on: 11 Apr 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

But the service has been slow to catch on, and Amazon has had trouble differentiating itself from similar services offered by Handy and TaskRabbit.

— jeff andrews, Curbed, "Amazon is hiring its own cleaners for renewed push into housekeeping," 29 Mar. 2018
Initially certified in 2001, Mobil Steel completed a diligent re-certification process in 2006 to demonstrate its commitment to quality and to differentiate itself in the steel fabrication industry.

— staff report, Houston Chronicle, "Mobil Steel achieves quality fabrication standard," 27 Mar. 2018
In any case, the reason to differentiate them isn't burning deuterium.

— sophie weiner, Popular Mechanics, "Are Brown Dwarfs Planets or Failed Stars?," 24 Mar. 2018
This is how the more innovative retailers now try to differentiate themselves in a crowded market.

— The Economist, "Can’t stand the heat," 15 Mar. 2018
Airlines have long worked to differentiate themselves, encouraging loyalty by offering generous perks for frequent fliers and those who can afford to fly first class.

— lori aratani, Washington Post, "It’s buyer beware as big airlines embrace ‘basic economy’ fares," 12 Mar. 2018
Deciding to go open source, along with the new revenue streams, represent the second time in the last couple of months that Ghostery has tried to differentiate itself from other ad-tracking tools.

— louise matsakis, WIRED, "Ad-Blocker Ghostery Just Went Open Source—And Has a New Business Model," 8 Mar. 2018
To differentiate itself, Orbis, which opened its office in Mayfair, attempted to exploit Steele’s Russian expertise.

— steven strogatz, The New Yorker, "Christopher Steele, the Man Behind the Trump Dossier," 5 Mar. 2018
Glendinning said brands are simply trying to differentiate themselves from competitors.

— morgan hughes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Living in the moment: Milwaukee businesses tap internet memes, pop culture in marketing," 14 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.