differentiate

verb

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

differentiated; differentiating

Essential Meaning of differentiate

1 : to make (someone or something) different in some way The only thing that differentiates the twins is the color of their eyes.

2 : to see or state the difference or differences between two or more things

Full Definition of differentiate

transitive verb

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 The idea of white building materials was to differentiate the apartment building from townhomes and single-family homes in the subdivision and give the building its own identity, Brooker said. — Bob Sandrick, cleveland, 28 Sep. 2021 For starters, the government report did not differentiate between English-language and Spanish-language media companies. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2021 The bill does not explicitly differentiate between the two methods of learning related to funding. — Emily Donaldson, Dallas News, 10 Sep. 2021 Philosophically, Dussart does not differentiate between working with seasoned veterans and emerging talents. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Sep. 2021 One of the immune system’s most critical jobs is to differentiate between the body’s own cells and those of outside invaders to prevent accidental attacks on itself. — Matthew Woodruff, Quartz, 26 Aug. 2021 One of the immune system’s most critical jobs is to differentiate between the body’s own cells and those of outside invaders to prevent accidental attacks on itself. — Matthew Woodruff, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2021 The sample did not differentiate between likely and unlikely voters in a special election. — oregonlive, 20 July 2021 Whether a company’s motivation is to differentiate itself in a noisy market, increase user engagement, or create greater efficacy, future-facing wellness platforms are starting to sing along. — Frank Fitzpatrick, Forbes, 1 June 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.