dedifferentiation
|de-dif-fer-en-ti-a-tion|
/ˌdiːdɪfəˌrɛnʃiˈeɪʃən/
loss of specialized characteristics
Etymology
'dedifferentiation' originates from English, formed by the prefix 'de-' + the noun 'differentiation', where 'de-' meant 'reversal or removal' and 'differentiate' (from Latin roots) meant 'to make different or distinguish'.
'differentiation' traces back to Latin 'differentia' (meaning 'difference'), passed through Medieval/Latinized forms and into Middle English/French vocabulary; the modern English noun 'differentiation' developed from these, and the productive English prefix 'de-' was added in modern English to create 'dedifferentiation'.
Initially, elements of the root family concerned distinguishing or making different; over time the compound 'dedifferentiation' came to mean specifically the reversal or loss of differentiation (especially in biological contexts).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the biological process by which specialized (differentiated) cells lose their specialized features and revert to a more primitive, less specialized state; often discussed in developmental biology, regeneration, and cancer.
Researchers observed dedifferentiation of muscle cells during limb regeneration in the study.
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Noun 2
a more general or figurative process in which an institution, role, or system loses distinct characteristics or specialized functions, becoming more generalized or less clearly defined.
Some critics argue that dedifferentiation in modern media has blurred the lines between news and entertainment.
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Last updated: 2025/08/20 02:16