Marinate, Macerate: Is there a Difference?

Practically speaking, no. Both involve soaking food in a flavorful liquid for some period of time. The main difference is that “marinating” is a term we apply to meat and vegetables and “macerating” is a term we apply to fruit. If you want to split hairs you could argue that the intended results of each are different. Whereas macerating is all about infusing flavor, marinating is about that and tenderizing as well (marinades are often quite acidic, and the acid help break down meat fibers). Me, I don’t see much difference.