Differentiated

How to spell differentiated

14 letters · 6 syllables

How to pronounce differentiated

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does differentiated mean?

1. verbRecognised or established a difference between two or more things.
2. adjectiveMade distinct or varied to suit different needs, types, or audiences.

Differentiated in a sentence

• verb

  The auditor differentiated between genuine expenses and personal spending.

• adjective

  The school adopted a differentiated approach so each pupil worked at the right level.

• verb

  Early reviewers differentiated the new model from its cheaper sibling by build quality.

• adjective

  A differentiated pricing structure charged businesses more than individuals.

Where does differentiated come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin differentia, meaning 'a difference' or 'a distinguishing feature', which itself was built on the verb differre, 'to carry apart' or 'to set apart', combining dis- 'apart' with ferre 'to carry'. Scholars in medieval Latin coined differentiare to mean 'to make or mark a difference', and English absorbed the verb differentiate in the early 1800s, partly through scientific and mathematical writing where it described distinguishing one thing from another or finding a rate of change. The past form differentiated simply adds the regular -ed ending. The same ferre root that means 'to carry' also gives us 'transfer', 'refer', and 'offer', which is a useful reminder that the heart of the word is about carrying things apart so their differences show. The spelling trap lives in the unstressed middle: the silent-feeling 'ti' before 'ate' and the easily dropped 'r' in 'differ' both invite errors.

How the word is built

• differenti- (from Latin differentia: difference)
• -ate (verb)
• -ed (past/participle suffix)