differentia

[ dif-uh-ren-shee-uh, -shuh ]

noun

, plural dif·fer·en·ti·ae [dif-, uh, -, ren, -shee-ee].

1. the character or attribute by which one species is distinguished from all others of the same genus.
2. the character or basic factor by which one entity is distinguished from another.

differentia

/ ˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃɪə /

noun

1. logic a feature by which two subclasses of the same class of named objects can be distinguished Also calleddifference

Word History and Origins

Origin of differentia¹

From Latin, dating back to 1820–30; difference

Word History and Origins

Origin of differentia¹

C19: from Latin: diversity, difference

Example Sentences

Earlier this year, Google also open sourced a tool for its TensorFlow AI training platform, called TensorFlow Privacy, that lets researchers use differentia privacy to protect user data while training AI algorithms.

From The Verge

Swift and Chatterton, with all their vast talents, wanted, we think, the fine differentia, and the genial element of real poetic genius.

From Project Gutenberg

But while none of these twenty or more definitions is logical in the sense just defined, they all present one or other of the differentiae given by those in the text.

From Project Gutenberg

Musset, who was very much of a free-lance in the contest, maintained indeed that the differentia of the Romantic was the copious use of this part of speech.

From Project Gutenberg

To quote the differentia of Sir Oliver Lodge: “A solid has volume and shape; a liquid has volume, but no shape; a gas has neither volume nor shape.”

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• aspect
• attribute
• component
• essence
• flavor
• nature
• peculiarity
• personality
• quality
• style
• symptom
• temperament
• tendency
• tone
• virtue