DIFFERENTIATE

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does differentiate mean? 

• DIFFERENTIATE (verb)
  The verb DIFFERENTIATE has 6 senses:

1. mark as different

2. be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense

3. calculate a derivative; take the derivative

4. become different during development

5. evolve so as to lead to a new species or develop in a way most suited to the environment

6. become distinct and acquire a different character

  Familiarity information: DIFFERENTIATE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DIFFERENTIATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they differentiate    ... he / she / it differentiates   
Past simple: differentiated   
Past participle: differentiated   
-ing form: differentiating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Mark as different

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

differentiate; distinguish; secern; secernate; separate; severalise; severalize; tell; tell apart

Context example:

We distinguish several kinds of maple

Hypernyms (to "differentiate" is one way to...):

identify; place (recognize as being; establish the identity of someone or something)

"Differentiate" entails doing...:

compare (examine and note the similarities or differences of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "differentiate"):

know (be able to distinguish, recognize as being different)

discriminate; know apart (recognize or perceive the difference)

label (distinguish (an element or atom) by using a radioactive isotope or an isotope of unusual mass for tracing through chemical reactions)

label (distinguish (as a compound or molecule) by introducing a labeled atom)

sex (tell the sex (of young chickens))

individualise; individualize (make or mark or treat as individual)

contrast (put in opposition to show or emphasize differences)

have the distinction (be distinguished from others of a similar type by virtue of a notable characteristic)

severalise; severalize (distinguish or separate)

contradistinguish (distinguish by contrasting qualities)

decouple; dissociate (regard as unconnected)

demarcate (separate clearly, as if by boundaries)

discriminate; separate; single out (treat differently on the basis of sex or race)

stratify (divide society into social classes or castes)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s something from somebody

Derivation:

difference (the quality of being unlike or dissimilar)

difference (a variation that deviates from the standard or norm)

differentiation (a discrimination between things as different and distinct on the basis of their characteristics or attributes)

differentiator (a person who (or that which) differentiates)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

differentiate; distinguish; mark

Context example:

His modesty distinguishes him from his peers

Hypernyms (to "differentiate" is one way to...):

characterise; characterize; qualify (describe or portray the character or the qualities or peculiarities of)

Verb group:

mark (designate as if by a mark)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "differentiate"):

characterise; characterize (be characteristic of)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

difference (the quality of being unlike or dissimilar)

difference (a variation that deviates from the standard or norm)

differentiation (a discrimination between things as different and distinct on the basis of their characteristics or attributes)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Calculate a derivative; take the derivative

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "differentiate" is one way to...):

calculate; cipher; compute; cypher; figure; reckon; work out (make a mathematical calculation or computation)

Domain category:

math; mathematics; maths (a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Antonym:

integrate (calculate the integral of; calculate by integration)

Derivation:

differentiation (the mathematical process of obtaining the derivative of a function)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Become different during development

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

cells differentiate

Hypernyms (to "differentiate" is one way to...):

develop (grow, progress, unfold, or evolve through a process of evolution, natural growth, differentiation, or a conducive environment)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Antonym:

dedifferentiate (lose specialization in form or function)

Derivation:

difference (the quality of being unlike or dissimilar)

difference (a significant change)

differentiation ((biology) the structural adaptation of some body part for a particular function)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Evolve so as to lead to a new species or develop in a way most suited to the environment

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

differentiate; specialise; specialize; speciate

Hypernyms (to "differentiate" is one way to...):

evolve (undergo development or evolution)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sense 6

Meaning:

Become distinct and acquire a different character

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "differentiate" is one way to...):

dissimilate (become dissimilar or less similar)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

difference (a variation that deviates from the standard or norm)

difference (a significant change)

differentiation (a discrimination between things as different and distinct on the basis of their characteristics or attributes)

difference (the quality of being unlike or dissimilar)

 Context examples 

A well differentiated neuroendocrine tumor that arises from the ampulla of Vater and the periampullary region.

(Ampulla of Vater Enterochromaffin Cell Serotonin-Producing Neuroendocrine Tumor, NCI Thesaurus)

An aggressive, high-grade and poorly differentiated carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation that arises from the ampulla of Vater and the periampullary region.

(Ampulla of Vater Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

It includes well differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (low and intermediate grade) and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (high grade).

(Ampulla of Vater Neuroendocrine Neoplasm, NCI Thesaurus)

Comment: Leukemia in which neoplastic cells are moderately differentiated including both neutrophilic and monocytic cells; With a monocytic component; With a neutrophilic component; greater or equal to 20% immature forms/blasts in hematopoietic tissue

(Mouse Myelomonocytic Leukemia, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)

A preparation consisting of allogeneic, differentiated Th1-like T cells bound to T cell-stimulating monoclonal antibodies with potential antitumor activity.

(Allogeneic CD4+ Memory Th1-like T Cells/Microparticle-bound Anti-CD3/anti-CD28, NCI Thesaurus)

It is characterized by the presence of malignant small round cells, biphasic growth pattern, and well differentiated hyaline cartilage.

(Adult Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma, NCI Thesaurus)

At the same time, no absolute criteria exist for distinguishing a large adenoma from a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma.

(Adenoma of the Mouse Pulmonary System, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)

In addition, ADRC can differentiate into several tissue types, such as bone, cartilage, fat, skeletal muscle, smooth muscle and cardiac muscle.

(Adipose-Derived Regenerative Cells, NCI Thesaurus)

Regulated by tumor suppressor p53, the expression of RTVP-1 functions as a tumor suppressor, and is abundant in normal human prostate epithelial cells as well as in differentiated macrophages.

(AdRTVP-1-Transduced Prostate Cancer Cell-Based Vaccine, NCI Thesaurus)

A specialized, self-renewing cell in the bone marrow that has the capacity to differentiate into a cell with a particular function.

(Multipotent Bone Marrow Stem Cell, NCI Thesaurus)