differentiator

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UK/dɪf.əˈɹɛn.ʃi.eɪ.tə/Canada, US/ˌdɪf.əˈɹɛn.ʃi.eɪ.tɚ/Canada, US[ˌdɪf.əˈɹɛn.ʃi.eɪ.ɾɚ]Australia/dɪf.əˈɹen.ʃi.æɪ.tə/

noun

Anything that differentiates, or causes differentiation (in any sense); a distinguishing feature.

Similar
discriminator
OriginEnglish differentiate ← New Latin differentiātus ← Latin differentia →
UncommonScrabble 21
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Meanings

noundifferentiator (plural differentiators)

plural differentiators

  1. Anything that differentiates, or causes differentiation (in any sense); a distinguishing feature.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna person who (or that which) differentiates

Similar
discriminator
Broader
actordoerworker
Also see
discriminator

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  2. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  3. Proto-Indo-European*d(w)is-
  4. Proto-Italic*dis-
  5. Latindis-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*bʰer-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéreti
  8. Proto-Italic*ferō
  9. Latinferō
  10. Latindifferō
  11. Latindifferēns
  12. Latindifferentia
  13. New Latindifferentiō
  14. New Latindifferentiātus
  15. Englishdifferentiate
  16. Englishdifferentiator

From differentiate + -or.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

differentiator. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/differentiator

MLA

“differentiator.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/differentiator. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “differentiator,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/differentiator.

Source: differentiator on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.