distinction

American  

[dih-stingk-shuhn] / dɪˈstɪŋk ʃən /

noun

• distinctions
  plural

1. a marking off or distinguishing as different.

   His distinction of sounds is excellent.

2. the recognizing or noting of differences; discrimination.

   to make a distinction between right and wrong.

3. a discrimination made between things as different; special regard or favoritism.

   Death comes to all without distinction.

4. condition of being different; difference.

   There is a distinction between what he says and what he does.

   Antonyms:

   resemblance

5. a distinguishing quality or characteristic.

   It has the distinction of being the oldest house in the town.

6. a distinguishing or treating with special honor, attention, or favor.

7. an act of bestowing, or a mark of, honor or favor.

8. marked superiority; note; eminence.

   Synonyms:

   importance, renown

9. distinguished appearance.

10. Obsolete. division; separation.

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distinction British  

/ dɪˈstɪŋkʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of distinguishing or differentiating

2. a distinguishing feature

3. the state of being different or distinguishable

4. special honour, recognition, or fame

5. excellence of character; distinctive qualities

   a man of distinction

6. distinguished appearance

7. a symbol of honour or rank

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Synonym Usage

Distinction and difference may both refer to perceivable dissimilarities and, in this meaning, may be used interchangeably: There is a distinction ( difference ) between the two. Distinction, however, usually suggests the perception of dissimilarity, as the result of analysis and discrimination: a carefully made distinction between two treatments of the same theme; whereas difference refers only to the condition of being dissimilar: the difference between Gothic and Roman architecture. “A distinction without a difference” is a way of referring to an artificial or false discrimination. See honor.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subdistinction
  noun
• underdistinction
  noun
• distinctionless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• distinctions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of distinction

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English distinccioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin distinctiōn-, stem of distinctiō “difference”; equivalent to distinct + -ion

Explanation

When you are marked for distinction, it means you are someone who is going to do well in life. You will set yourself apart from others. Distinction means being set apart, often by excellence. When things are distinct from one another, they are different. It is the distinctions that make them this way. In your school, an outside observer might at first be unable to see the distinctions among the kids, but with a little time they'll be able to see how kids are identified and associated with their peculiar qualities.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

distinction distinctions

That distinction matters because UPI's extraordinary growth was not simply a story about Indians getting smartphones.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Under Austrian law, "a distinction between men and women may only be made if there is a special, objective justification for it", she said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

That distinction calls into question a long-standing assumption used by researchers who study diseases in ancient populations.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

At the core of her allegations is a distinction that banks make between frauds and scams, which dictates how customer claims are handled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Some men were even unfriendly, and uncooperative about their medicines, having managed to blur the distinction between the generals and the nurses.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Rather than reacting only to familiar properties such as color or intensity, it detects subtle quantum distinctions in the incoming light.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026

Hemani’s answer is that constitutional rights cannot turn on analogies that survive only because the categories have been defined so broadly that the distinctions disappear.

From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026

In one of its many distinctions from other festivals, Ojai stays fresh by yearly changing music directors and for its 80th anniversary Esa-Pekka Salonen returned after a quarter-century absence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

Critics of the change say this risks flattening meaningful distinctions between religious identities, particularly for service members whose beliefs do not fall neatly into major denominational groupings.

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026

When you call soldiers “boots on the ground,” for instance, is that not essentially the same thing as calling a car “wheels”? Those distinctions can safely be left to the theorists.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• characteristic
• contrast
• difference
• differentiation
• discrepancy
• discrimination
• divergence
• division
• judgment
• nicety
• perception
• quality
• sensitivity
• separation