distinctive
Americanadjective
-
serving to distinguish; characteristic; distinguishing.
the distinctive stripes of the zebra.
- Synonyms:
- individual
-
having a special quality, style, attractiveness, etc.; notable.
adjective
-
serving or tending to distinguish
-
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
Etymology
Origin of distinctive
First recorded in 1575–85; from Medieval Latin distinctīvus; equivalent to distinct + -ive
Explanation
Her big eyes and plump lips are distinctive features that make her a great model. These are just some of the special features that distinguish her. You might recognize the Latin prefix dis in the adjective distinctive. Dis often means "apart" or "away." Think of this when trying to remember the word distinctive. Someone with distinctive features has features that set them "apart" from others. Yes, its stepped-back architecture and distinctive spire are among the Empire State Building's distinctive features, but its most distinctive feature has to be its height: for decades there wasn't another building in New York that came close!
Vocabulary lists containing distinctive
The Giver
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Walk Two Moons
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The Breadwinner
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The review, "Pecans and Human Health: Distinctive Benefits of an American Nut," published in Nutrients, evaluated more than 20 years of research on pecans and health.
From Science Daily • Feb. 22, 2026
Distinctive scars from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament are visible around Ava Tibor’s right knee.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2023
A bridal dress has been given to the 23-year-old by Distinctive Bridal wedding shop.
From BBC • Oct. 9, 2023
“Particularly in small homes, having the kitchen open to the rest of the house makes it so much more friendly and interactive,” says Allison Scheff, former Seattle Magazine food editor and founder of Distinctive Kitchens.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 18, 2023
Distinctive patch of white on side; tan or yellow coloration below and behind dorsal fin, often visible on swimming animal.
From Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic A Guide to Their Identification by Caldwell, David
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
