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   Dif·fer·en·ti·ate

   /ˌdifəˈren(t)SHēˌāt/

   

   verb

   • 1. recognize or ascertain what makes (someone or something) different: "children can differentiate the past from the present"
   • ▪ identify differences between (two or more things or people): "he is unable to differentiate between fantasy and reality" Similar distinguishdiscriminatemake a distinctiondraw a distinctionsee a differencediscern a differencetell the differencediscerntell apartrecognizeidentifypick outdeterminecontrast
   • ▪ make (someone or something) appear different or distinct: "little now differentiates the firm's products from its rivals" Similar make differentdistinguishset apartsingle outseparatesegregatemark offcharacterizeindividualizeindividuate
   • 2. make or become different in the process of growth or development: technical "the receptors are developed and differentiated into sense organs" Similar transformmetamorphoseevolveconvertchangebecome differentmodifyalteradapt
   • 3. transform (a function) into its derivative.

   Word Origin early 19th century: from medieval Latin differentiat- ‘carried away from’, from the verb differentiare, from differentia (see differentia).

   Scrabble Points: 20

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