Differentiate

/dɪf.əˈɹɛn.ʃi.eɪt/ · verb

Meaning

To modify so as to create a difference or distinction..

Definitions by Sense

1. To modify so as to create a difference or distinction.
2. To show or be the difference or distinction between things.
3. To recognize as different or distinct.
4. To calculate the derivative of a function.
5. To calculate the differential of a function of multiple variables.
6. To perceive the difference between things; to discriminate.
7. To teach a lesson in multiple different ways in order to meet the needs of more or less advanced students.
8. (transitive, intransitive, often in the passive voice, biology) To (cause to) go through a process of development called differentiation; to make or become different in form or function.

Example Sentences

A humble instance of Ablaut may be quoted which took place in the seventeenth century, when the word then was differentiated into the two forms then and than.

What differentiates an alligator from a crocodile?

Taste differentiates a gentleman—for instance, Mr. Addison—from a Hottentot or Laplander.

How do you differentiate a fake smile from a genuine one?

In the earlier chapters uncouth proper names are reduced to a minimum, but the Index refers by name to specific places and persons only generally mentioned in the earlier pages. For instance, the states of Lu and Chêng on pages 22 and 29 : it is hard enough to differentiate Ts‘i, Tsin, Ts‘in, and Ts‘u at the outstart, without crowding the memory with fresh names until the necessity for it absolutely arises.

The mass of the rich and poor are differentiated by their incomes and nothing else, and the average millionaire is only the average dishwasher dressed in a new suit.

he refused to instruct that actual intent to harm or recklessness had to be found before punitive damages could be awarded, or that a verdict for respondent should differentiate between compensatory and punitive damages.

Like most teaching, differentiating is a mix of art and science. When it works, "it's like a jazz rhythm," said Carol Tomlinson, an education professor at the University of Virginia and an expert on differentiation.

Synonyms for differentiate

Antonyms for differentiate

Related Words

Word Forms

• differentiates
• differentiating
• differentiated

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions