differentiation

American  

[dif-uh-ren-shee-ey-shuhn] / ˌdɪf əˌrɛn ʃiˈeɪ ʃən /

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.

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differentiation British  

/ 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

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differentiation Scientific  

/ 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.

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Etymology

Origin of differentiation

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

Explanation

Differentiation is how someone or something is set apart from others. If you make a differentiation between one brand of toothpaste and another, you point out how they're distinct. You can see the word different in differentiation. The -tion ending tips you off that differentiation is the noun form of different: differentiation refers to the differences themselves. Suppose two very similar movies come out at the same time. The studios will work to achieve differentiation in the films' trailers, with one highlighting the chemistry between the romantic leads and the other showing moments of slap-stick comedy.

Example Sentences

The DHX29-driven mechanism could influence important biological processes such as cell differentiation, maintaining cellular balance, and the development of cancer, suggesting wide-ranging significance.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

El Pollo Loco may be just the right combination of price and differentiation from fast-food burgers at a time when consumers are looking to save.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

The elephant's gradiated structure can help with things like object differentiation while foraging and eating -- which they spend the vast majority of their time doing.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

These trends include specialized artificial intelligence, where management targets special-purpose accelerators tailored for markets like medical and finance for differentiation, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

They are generally speaking as mistrustful of wizards as they are of Muggles and indeed seem to make little differentiation between us.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling