differentia

[ dif-uh-ren-shee-uh, -shuh ]
See synonyms for differentia on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural dif·fer·en·ti·ae [dif-uh-ren-shee-ee]. /ˌdɪf əˈrɛn ʃiˌi/.
  1. the character or attribute by which one species is distinguished from all others of the same genus.

  2. the character or basic factor by which one entity is distinguished from another.

Origin of differentia

1
From Latin, dating back to 1820–30; see origin at difference

Dictionary.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 | Aristotle
  • They differ from one another by their special differentiae, but resemble in other respects.

    Giordano Bruno | James Lewis McIntyre
  • Similarly, the definition of the differentiae will be applicable to the species and to the individuals.

    The Categories | Aristotle
  • Similarly the differentiae are predicated of the species and of the individuals.

    The Categories | Aristotle
  • Yet 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

differentia

/ (ˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃɪə) /


nounplural -tiae (-ʃɪˌiː)
  1. logic a feature by which two subclasses of the same class of named objects can be distinguished: Also called: difference

Origin of differentia

1
C19: from Latin: diversity, difference

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012