differentiate

American  

[dif-uh-ren-shee-eyt] / ˌdɪf əˈrɛn ʃiˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

differentiated, differentiating

1. to form or mark differently from other such things; distinguish.

2. to change; alter.

3. to perceive the difference in or between.

   Synonyms:

   separate

4. to make different by modification, as a biological species.

5. Mathematics. to obtain the differential or the derivative of.

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verb (used without object)

differentiated, differentiating

1. to become unlike or dissimilar; change in character.

2. to make a distinction.

3. Biology. (of cells or tissues) to change from relatively generalized to specialized kinds, during development.

differentiate British  

/ ˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃɪˌeɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to serve to distinguish between

2. to perceive, show, or make a difference (in or between); discriminate

3. (intr) to become dissimilar or distinct

4. maths to perform a differentiation on (a quantity, expression, etc)

5. (intr) (of unspecialized cells, etc) to change during development to more specialized forms

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Related Words

See distinguish.

Other Word Forms

• differentiation noun
• differentiator noun
• interdifferentiate verb (used with object)
• redifferentiate verb
• self-differentiating adjective
• undifferentiated adjective

Etymology

Origin of differentiate

First recorded in 1810–20; from Medieval Latin differentiātus distinguished (past participle of differentiāre ), equivalent to Latin different(ia) difference + -ātus -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Audrey says she sets boundaries with social media and doesn't read comments because "you have to differentiate reality from online, otherwise you get absorbed in it".

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

An important advantage of the test is its ability to differentiate pancreatic cancer from other non-cancerous pancreatic conditions, including pancreatitis.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

Guerra said Villaraigosa is struggling to differentiate himself in the race because his pitch to voters is not unlike the moderate path taken by Mahan.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

Matejka is careful to differentiate between current events and the oil-price shock of 2022 because that exacerbated an upward trend in inflation that was already triggered by the global pandemic.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

Their build was identical, they all stood around six foot, and there was not a single detail anyone could have used to differentiate them at all.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

Related Words

• adapt
• alter
• diversify
• modify
• transform
• vary