differentiation.

1. The process of establishing or recognizing differences between things.

2. The mathematical process of calculating a derivative.

3. The development of specialized forms or functions, especially in biological cells or tissues.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• differentiation between categories
• differentiation of roles

On the page

Differentiation between the categories required a clearer criterion.

Differentiation of roles reduced uncertainty about responsibility.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: explicit explanation, scope and categorization, proof and interpretation, philosophical foundations. Disciplines: academic writing, formal reasoning, philosophy. Commonness: moderately common.