differentiate definitions

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: mark as different; "We distinguish several kinds of maple" [syn: distinguish, separate, differentiate, secern, secernate, severalize, severalise, tell, tell apart]
2: be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense; "His modesty distinguishes him from his peers" [syn: distinguish, mark, differentiate]
3: calculate a derivative; take the derivative [ant: integrate]
4: become different during development; "cells differentiate" [ant: dedifferentiate]
5: evolve so as to lead to a new species or develop in a way most suited to the environment [syn: speciate, differentiate, specialize, specialise]
6: become distinct and acquire a different character

Merriam Webster's

verb (-ated; -ating) Date: 1816 transitive verb 1. to obtain the mathematical derivative of 2. to mark or show a difference in ; constitute a difference that distinguishes 3. to develop differential characteristics in 4. to cause differentiation of in the course of development 5. to express the specific distinguishing quality of ; discriminate intransitive verb 1. to recognize or give expression to a difference 2. to become distinct or different in character 3. to undergo differentiation • differentiability noun • differentiable adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 tr. constitute a difference between or in. 2 tr. & (often foll. by between) intr. find differences (between); discriminate. 3 tr. & intr. make or become different in the process of growth or development (species, word-forms, etc.). 4 tr. Math. transform (a function) into its derivative. Derivatives: differentiation n. differentiator n. Etymology: med.L differentiare differentiat- (as DIFFERENCE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Differentiate Dif`fer*en"ti*ate, v. i. (Biol.) To acquire a distinct and separate character. --Huxley.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Differentiate Dif`fer*en"ti*ate, v. t. 1. To distinguish or mark by a specific difference; to effect a difference in, as regards classification; to develop differential characteristics in; to specialize; to desynonymize. The word then was differentiated into the two forms then and than. --Earle. Two or more of the forms assumed by the same original word become differentiated in signification. --Dr. Murray. 2. To express the specific difference of; to describe the properties of (a thing) whereby it is differenced from another of the same class; to discriminate. --Earle. 3. (Math.) To obtain the differential, or differential coefficient, of; as, to differentiate an algebraic expression, or an equation.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(differentiates, differentiating, differentiated) 1. If you differentiate between things or if you differentiate one thing from another, you recognize or show the difference between them. A child may not differentiate between his imagination and the real world... At this age your baby cannot differentiate one person from another. = distinguish VERB: V between pl-n, V n from n 2. A quality or feature that differentiates one thing from another makes the two things different. ...distinctive policies that differentiate them from the other parties. = distinguish VERB: V n from n • differentiation The differentiation between the two product ranges will increase.

Moby Thesaurus

adapt, adjust, alter, analyze, anatomize, argue, atomize, be characteristic, be indicative of, be significant of, be symptomatic of, bespeak, betoken, break up, calibrate, calibrated, change, characterize, chop logic, comprehend, connote, contradistinguish, contrast, convert, decrease, define, demarcate, demark, denominate, denote, describe, desynonymize, differ, difference, discern, disclose, discriminate, disequalize, disjoin, display, dissent, distinguish, disunify, divaricate, diverge, diversify, divide, draw the line, earmark, entail, express, extricate, give evidence, give token, gradational, grade, gradual, graduate, graduated, hierarchic, highlight, hint, identify, increase, indicate, individualize, individuate, involve, keynote, make a distinction, manifest, mark, mark off, mark out, mark the interface, mean, modify, note, oppose, particularize, personalize, pick out, progressive, refine a distinction, regular, relieve, reveal, scalar, screen, screen out, segregate, select, separate, set a limit, set apart, set off, set the pace, set the tone, sever, severalize, shade off, show, sieve, sieve out, sift, sift out, signify, sort, sort out, sound the keynote, specialize, split hairs, stand for, subdivide, subtilize, suggest, symptomatize, symptomize, tell apart, testify, transform, transmute, understand, variate, variegate, vary, winnow