differentiate
verb OPAL W
/ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪt/
/ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪt/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they differentiate | /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪt/ /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪt/ |
| he / she / it differentiates | /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪts/ /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪts/ |
| past simple differentiated | /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪtɪd/ /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪtɪd/ |
| past participle differentiated | /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪtɪd/ /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form differentiating | /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪtɪŋ/ /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪtɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to recognize or show that two things are not the same synonym distinguish
- differentiate (between) A and B It's difficult to differentiate between the two varieties.
- differentiate A (from B) I can't differentiate one variety from another.
Extra Examples- Birds are able to differentiate colours.
- She can just differentiate between light and dark.
- Teachers should differentiate clearly between different kinds of correction.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- clearly
- be important to
- be easy to
- be possible to
- …
- between
- from
- [transitive] differentiate something (from something) to be the particular thing that shows that things or people are not the same synonym distinguish
- The male's yellow beak differentiates it from the female.
- features which clearly differentiate this product from other similar ones
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- clearly
- be important to
- be easy to
- be possible to
- …
- between
- from
- [intransitive] differentiate (between A and B) to treat people or things in a different way, especially in an unfair way synonym discriminate
- Rules that differentiate between employees on the basis of gender need to be revised.
- [intransitive, transitive] (biology) (of a cell or tissue) to become more specialized during growth and development; to make a cell or tissue more specialized during growth and development
- differentiate (into something) The fertilized egg differentiates into several different cell types.
- differentiate something (into something) The receptors are developed and differentiated into sense organs.
Word Originearly 19th cent.: from medieval Latin differentiat- ‘carried away from’, from the verb differentiare, from differentia from different- ‘carrying away’, from the verb differre, from dis- ‘from, away’ + ferre ‘bring, carry’.