distinctive

[dih-stingk-tiv]

adjective

1. serving to distinguish; characteristic; distinguishing: distinguishing.

   the distinctive stripes of the zebra.

   Synonyms: individual

2. having a special quality, style, attractiveness, etc.; notable.

distinctive

/ dɪˈstɪŋktɪv /

adjective

1. serving or tending to distinguish

2. denoting one of a set of minimal features of a phoneme in a given language that serve to distinguish it from other phonemes. The distinctive features of /p/ in English are that it is voiceless, bilabial, non-nasal, and plosive; /b/ is voiced, bilabial, non-nasal, and plosive: the two differ by the distinctive feature of voice

Other Word Forms

• distinctively adverb
• distinctiveness noun
• subdistinctive adjective
• subdistinctively adverb
• subdistinctiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of distinctive¹

First recorded in 1575–85; from Medieval Latin distinctīvus; equivalent to distinct + -ive

Example Sentences

In a machine learning analysis, investigators identified a distinctive pattern of blood metabolites that appeared to correlate with screen time.

Read more on Science Daily

By continually utilizing veneers and components from past maze builds, the distinctive landscape and the talents of passionate, volunteers, Shireman continued to conjure an entertaining enterprise.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Mr Teller said the name was also inspired by the distinctive pale "knuckles" on the small leg-like appendages at the side of the spider's mouth.

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For it has to be said that Biya has also fulfilled a distinctive political role.

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The last of these in particular characterized the concerts Thursday and Friday, where both performers and audiences gave all they could to appreciating one of the most distinctive, and sincere, voices of our time.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• cool 
• extraordinary 
• idiosyncratic 
• offbeat 
• original 
• peculiar 
• singular 
• special 
• weird