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

Derived Forms

• distinctly
  adverb
• distinctness
  noun

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

There’s a distinct gap between grandfather and grandson donations.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026

"Ilaiyaraaja's arrival was a watershed moment. It was an intervention by a person from an entirely different social and aesthetic background who had imbued a distinct aural soundscape," says TM Krishna, a celebrated Carnatic musician.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Here, Mitchell talks about Salvador’s distinct colors, its visual reminders of history and a memorable moment with a local.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

He thinks investors are grappling with two distinct options: sticking with the market and risking a pullback, or loading into bonds until the IPO wave is complete.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

She took in wafts of homemade salves, healing herbs, the distinct smell of bandaging linen and ointments.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

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