differentiation

[ dif-uh-ren-shee-ey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act or process of differentiating, or the state of being differentiated.
2. Mathematics. the operation of finding the differential or derivative of a function.
3. Biology. the process by which cells or tissues change from relatively generalized to specialized kinds, during development.

differentiation

/ ˌdɪfəˌrɛnʃɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act, process, or result of differentiating
2. maths an operation used in calculus in which the derivative of a function or variable is determined; the inverse of integration See integration
3. any process in which a mixture of materials separates out partially or completely into its constituent parts, as in the cooling and solidification of a magma into two or more different rock types or in the gradual separation of an originally homogeneous earth into crust, mantle, and core

differentiation

/ dĭf′ə-rĕn′shē-ā′shən /

1. In calculus, the process of computing the derivative of a function.
2. Compare integration
3. The process by which cells or parts of an organism change during development to serve a specific function. The cells of an animal in its early embryonic phase, for example, are identical at first but develop by differentiation into specific tissues, such as bone, heart muscle, and skin. The factors determining the differentiation of any particular cell are not well understood, but in deuterostomes (vertebrates and other complex animals) they include the location of the cell relative to other cells.

Word History and Origins

Origin of differentiation¹

First recorded in 1800–10; differentiat(e) + -ion

Example Sentences

My eldest child had the good fortune to be in a small program within her public school, open to all until the spaces were filled, that solved much of the differentiation problem.

From Los Angeles Times

Branding became essential to the differentiation that would earn the easy recognition and loyalty of customers, though labels about the purity of contents or lack thereof didn’t matter in this former landscape.

From Los Angeles Times

Such differentiation and a commitment for the long haul will be critical, he says, to winning rural India and cracking that incremental $200bn market opportunity.

From BBC

Thus the differentiation in relationship the filmgoer may see in the lower-case dame portion of Smith’s career and image, and her aristocracy era.

From Salon

“The go-to-market strategy needs to be overhauled and elevated with coffee-forward innovation that inspires partners, and creates differentiation in the marketplace, reinforcing the company’s premium position,” he wrote.

From Salon