differentiation

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noun dif·fer·en·ti·a·tion \ -ˌren(t)-shē-ˈā-shən \

Definition of differentiation

1 :the act or process of differentiating

2 :development from the one to the many, the simple to the complex, or the homogeneous to the heterogeneous

differentiation of Latin into vernaculars

3 biology

a :modification of body parts for performance of particular functions

b :the sum of the processes whereby apparently indifferent (see indifferent 7) or unspecialized cells, tissues, and structures attain their adult form and function

4 geology :the processes by which various rock types are produced from a common magma

See differentiation defined for kids

Recent Examples of differentiation from the Web

Go against the grain in tournaments To finish atop a tournament leaderboard, your lineup needs differentiation somewhere.

— chris raybon, SI.com, "Strategy and Advice for Picking a DFS Quarterback," 28 Aug. 2017
But Petersen says there's a clear differentiation Jasinski's story doesn't make.

— ryan craggs, CNT, "Cruise Passenger Claims 'Pirate Threat' Led to 10-Day Curfew," 9 Aug. 2017
Albertsons and others will make the mistake of thinking that Lidl and Aldi’s differentiation is about price alone.

— The Economist, "LettersLetters to the editor," 20 July 2017
So where’s the differentiation there, where’s the exclusivity?

— arthur zaczkiewicz | wwd, latimes.com, "It's the shopping question of the moment. What's the future for retail in the U.S.?," 5 July 2017
As a point of differentiation between chips, this is nothing new.

— mark walton, Ars Technica, "Intel Core i9-7900X review: The fastest chip in the world, but too darn expensive," 4 July 2017
With more late-night hosts than ever, the field has become crowded—making differentiation all the more important.

— laura bradley, VanityFair.com, "Has Seth Meyers Found a New Way to Stand Out from the Late-Night Crowd?," 28 June 2017
The differentiation between nationalities became much less.

— whitney eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, "Why, in Tijuana, a 'different kind of migrant' elicits help," 13 June 2017
Device enters overseas production ahead of annual conference Company seeks differentiation with surround sound, Apple Music Apple Inc. is already in your pocket, on your desk and underneath your television.

— mark gurman, Bloomberg.com, "Apple Is Manufacturing a Siri Speaker to Outdo Google and Amazon," 31 May 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of differentiation

see ¹different

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1776

See Words from the same year

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

DIFFERENTIATION Defined for Kids

differentiation

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noun dif·fer·en·ti·a·tion \ ˌdi-fə-ˌren-shē-ˈā-shən \

Definition of differentiation for Students

:the process of change by which immature living structures develop to maturity

Medical Dictionary

differentiation

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noun dif·fer·en·ti·a·tion \ -ˌren-chē-ˈā-shən \

medical Definition of differentiation

1 a :the act of describing a thing by giving its differentia

b :the enhancement of microscopically visible differences between tissue or cell parts by partial selective decolorization or removal of excess stain (as in regressive staining)

c :the development of a discriminating conditioned response with a positive response to one stimulus and absence of the response on the application of similar but discriminably different stimuli

2 a :modification of different parts of the body for performance of particular functions; also :specialization of parts or organs in the course of evolution

b :the sum of the developmental processes whereby apparently unspecialized cells, tissues, and structures attain their adult form and function — compare determination 2

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See words that rhyme with differentiation Spanish Central: Translation of differentiation Nglish: Translation of differentiation for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of differentiation for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about differentiation

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differentiation

Definition of differentiation

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Origin and Etymology of differentiation

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differentiation

Definition of differentiation for Students

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differentiation

medical Definition of differentiation

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