distinct

American  

[dih-stingkt] / dɪˈstɪŋkt /

adjective

1. distinguished as not being the same; not identical; separate (sometimes followed byfrom ).

   His private and public lives are distinct.

   Synonyms:

   individual, discrete

2. different in nature or quality; dissimilar (sometimes followed byfrom ).

   Gold is distinct from iron.

3. clear to the senses or intellect; plain; unmistakable.

   The ship appeared as a distinct silhouette.

   Synonyms:

   well-defined, sharp, unlike, distinguishable, disparate, different

   Antonyms:

   indistinct

4. distinguishing or perceiving clearly.

   distinct vision.

5. unquestionably exceptional or notable.

   a distinct honor.

6. Archaic. distinctively decorated or adorned.

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distinct British  

/ dɪˈstɪŋkt /

adjective

1. easily sensed or understood; clear; precise

2. (when postpositive, foll by from) not the same (as); separate (from); distinguished (from)

3. not alike; different

4. sharp; clear

5. recognizable; definite

   a distinct improvement

6. explicit; unequivocal

7. maths logic (of a pair of entities) not identical

8. botany (of parts of a plant) not joined together; separate

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Usage

What are other ways to say distinct?

The adjective distinct is used to describe things that are clearly distinguished from others. How does distinct compare to synonyms different, various, and diverse? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

• distinctness
  noun
• distinctly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of distinct

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin distinctus, “divided off,” past participle of disting(u)ere “to divide off, pick out, distinguish,” from di- di- ² + sting(u)ere (unrecorded), presumably, “to prick, mark by pricking”; cf. instinct ¹, instigate

Explanation

When something is distinct, it is easily identifiable or set apart from others of its kind. An eighth-grader who is six feet tall has a distinct advantage over the other kids on the basketball court. A thing can be distinct if it is easy to see, either because it is different in some way from the things around it or if it is more clear and visible, as in: “The license number of the getaway car was more distinct once I cleaned my glasses.” The word distinct comes from “to distinguish,” which is when a person or thing is set apart from the pack: “The research that she did was distinct in its attention to detail.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

distinct

I’ve worked for many, and I know the distinct frustration of being pinged with, “Just checking in!” less than an hour after being asked how something is “coming along.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

They were loud - very loud - for every Mexico game and when they won fireworks could be heard around LA while their distinct green jerseys were seen everywhere.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

One box also creates the kind of abundance that makes brunch feel distinct from breakfast.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

Tan compared Beijing’s sensitivity to any suggestion of a Taiwan distinct from China to an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Then, to my amazement, I heard distant but distinct sounds, a whisper of music and something else, the laughter of children coming from high up in the sky.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

Related Words

• discrete
• disparate
• dissimilar
• distinctive
• divergent
• diverse
• offbeat
• particular
• peculiar
• separate
• special
• specific
• unique
• various