differentia

noun

ˌdi-fə-ˈren(t)-sh(ē-)ə How to pronounce differentia (audio)
Definition of differentianext
as in characteristic
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind a list of the chief differentiae between a controlling cult and a legitimate religious sect

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for differentia
  1. characteristic
  2. trait
  3. quality
  4. attribute
  5. feature
  6. attribution
  7. criterion
Noun
  • The result suggests that the crystal framework has the structural characteristics needed for fast lithium-ion transport.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Knowing someone's baseline characteristics is not the same as knowing what that person thinks about this decision today.
    — Leslie John, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of characteristic
Noun
  • Each planet has its own little traits that affect how races can play out, once again playing into that idea of futuristic racing across a galaxy.
    — Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The abilities that gain value are traits of the creative class.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of trait
Noun
  • The company said at the time that the facility would test battery performance, quality and durability under requirements specific to the region.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • It is estimated that the ring from Spanish jewelry brand Suárez cost over $30,000 at the time, likely due to the high quality of the natural diamond baguette stones.
    — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of quality
Noun
  • Analysts attribute support for Israel in the region to deep Christian traditions woven throughout public life.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Females pick mates based on several call attributes, including call length.
    — Claire Therese Hemingway, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of attribute
Noun
  • Some robo-advisors offer more customization and features, such as tax-loss harvesting, which uses losses to offset other portfolio gains, or automatic rebalancing.
    — Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Hennekam remembers that patient to be 8 or 9, with distinctive features.
    — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of feature
Noun
  • Imagine content carrying machine-readable information identifying its creator, rights holder, permitted uses, attribution requirements and price.
    — Shlomit Wagman, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Finance can’t reliably reconstruct attribution after a consolidated invoice arrives.
    — Alec Scott, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of attribution
Noun
  • Those criteria include having an adequate footprint, ground seismology and access to large quantities of water.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
  • City staff determined the two projects would be competitive for the grant program after reviewing the program criteria and city priorities, according to the staff report.
    — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of criterion
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

different
differentia
differentiability
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Differentia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/differentia. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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