different between differentia vs differentiate

English

Etymology

From Latin differentia. Doublet of difference.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d?f????n???/

Noun

differentia (plural differentiae)

1. (semantics, logic, taxonomy) A distinguishing feature which marks a species off from other members of the same genus.
   • 1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, Folio Society 2008, p. 38:

     That character, it seems to me, should be regarded as the practically important differentia of religion for our purpose.

   • 2017, Kory Stamper, Word By Word, Vintage 2018, p. 116:

     In the case of a word like “surfboard,” the differentiae seem pretty clear. How is this board different from all other boards?

See also

• criterion
• definiendum

Interlingua

Noun

differentia (plural differentias)

1. difference

Latin

Etymology

From differ? (“I am different”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /dif.fe?ren.ti.a/, [d??f?????n?t?iä]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /dif.fe?ren.t?si.a/, [d?if?????nt??s?i?]

Noun

differentia f (genitive differentiae); first declension

1. difference
2. diversity

Declension

First-declension noun.

Descendants

Participle

differentia

1. nominative neuter plural of differ?ns
2. accusative neuter plural of differ?ns
3. vocative neuter plural of differ?ns

References

• differentia in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• differentia in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• differentia in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• differentia in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

English

Etymology

From New Latin *differentiatus, past participle of differentiare, from Latin differentia (“difference”); see difference.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d?f.????n.?i.e?t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?d?.f????nt.?i.e?t/

Verb

differentiate (third-person singular simple present differentiates, present participle differentiating, simple past and past participle differentiated)

1. (transitive) To show, or be the distinction between two things.
   • 1871, John Earle, The Philology of the English Tongue

     The word "then" was differentiated into the two forms "then" and "than".
2. (intransitive) To perceive the difference between things; to discriminate.
3. (transitive, intransitive) To modify, or be modified.
4. (transitive, mathematics) To calculate the derivative of a function.
5. (transitive, mathematics) To calculate the differential of a function of multiple variables.
6. (intransitive, biology) To produce distinct organs or to achieve specific functions by a process of development called differentiation.

Synonyms

• (to show the distinction between things): differentialize; see also Thesaurus:differentiate
• (to perceive the difference between things): differentialize; see also Thesaurus:tell apart
• (to modify): change, transform; see also Thesaurus:alter

Antonyms

• (to show the distinction between things): equate
• (to perceive the difference between things): mix up, muddle up
• (to modify): leave alone, preserve

Derived terms

• differentiation

Related terms

• differ
• difference
• different
• differential

Translations

Further reading

• differentiate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• differentiate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Noun

differentiate (plural differentiates)

1. (geology) Something that has been differentiated or stratified.