Showing results for "distinguishing"

• present participle of distinguish.

distinguishing

American  

[dih-sting-gwi-shing] / dɪˈstɪŋ gwɪ ʃɪŋ /

adjective

1. distinctive; characteristic, as a definitive feature of an individual or group.

   Intricate rhyming is a distinguishing feature of her poetry.

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Other Word Forms

• nondistinguishing
  adjective
• self-distinguishing
  adjective
• undistinguishing
  adjective
• distinguishingly
  adverb
• undistinguishingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of distinguishing

First recorded in 1660–70; distinguish + -ing ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

distinguishing

I spent the first three paragraphs of a recent column distinguishing between acknowledging failed climate policy and questioning climate science.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Inspecting roofs, especially distinguishing between wind and hail damage, involves a certain degree of subjective judgment.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

Rather than viewing all senescent cells as dangerous, researchers increasingly believe the future of anti-aging medicine may depend on distinguishing harmful cells from beneficial ones.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026

X-Energy has early commercial agreements with Amazon and Dow, distinguishing it from competitors.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

The second distinguishing characteristic of these two examples is that in both cases little changes had big effects.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell