differentia
the character or attribute by which one species is distinguished from all others of the same genus.
the character or basic factor by which one entity is distinguished from another.
Origin of differentia
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use differentia in a sentence
If genera are different and co-ordinate, their differentiae are themselves different in kind.
The Categories | AristotleThey differ from one another by their special differentiae, but resemble in other respects.
Giordano Bruno | James Lewis McIntyreSimilarly, the definition of the differentiae will be applicable to the species and to the individuals.
The Categories | AristotleSimilarly the differentiae are predicated of the species and of the individuals.
The Categories | AristotleYet this is not peculiar to substance, for it is also the case that differentiae cannot be present in subjects.
The Categories | Aristotle
British Dictionary definitions for differentia
/ (ˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃɪə) /
logic a feature by which two subclasses of the same class of named objects can be distinguished: Also called: difference
Origin of differentia
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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