distinction

[ dih-stingk-shuhn ]

/ dɪˈstɪŋk ʃən /

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See synonyms for: distinction / distinctions on Thesaurus.com

noun

a marking off or distinguishing as different: His distinction of sounds is excellent.

the recognizing or noting of differences; discrimination: to make a distinction between right and wrong.

a discrimination made between things as different; special regard or favoritism: Death comes to all without distinction.

condition of being different; difference: There is a distinction between what he says and what he does.

a distinguishing quality or characteristic: It has the distinction of being the oldest house in the town.

a distinguishing or treating with special honor, attention, or favor.

an act of bestowing, or a mark of, honor or favor.

marked superiority; note; eminence.

distinguished appearance.

Obsolete. division; separation.

OTHER WORDS FOR distinction

8 renown, importance.

See synonyms for distinction on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR distinction

4 resemblance.

See antonyms for distinction on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of distinction

1175–1225; Middle English distinccioun (<Anglo-French ) <Latin distinctiōn- (stem of distinctiō), equivalent to distinct(us) (see distinct) + -iōn--ion

synonym study for distinction

3. Distinction and difference may both refer to perceivable dissimilarities and, in this meaning, may be used interchangeably: There is a distinction ( difference ) between the two. Distinction, however, usually suggests the perception of dissimilarity, as the result of analysis and discrimination: a carefully made distinction between two treatments of the same theme; whereas difference refers only to the condition of being dissimilar: the difference between Gothic and Roman architecture. “A distinction without a difference” is a way of referring to an artificial or false discrimination. 7. See honor.

OTHER WORDS FROM distinction

dis·tinc·tion·less, adjectivesub·dis·tinc·tion, nounun·der·dis·tinc·tion, noun

Words nearby distinction

distiller, distillers' grain, distillery, distillment, distinct, distinction, distinctive, distinctive feature, distinctiveness ratio, distinctly, distingué

How to use distinction in a sentence

That distinction is one reason she’s “in the deflation camp.”
After $20 trillion in pandemic relief spending, there’s still no sign of inflation. What happened?|Bernhard Warner|August 25, 2020|Fortune
The pack is definitely not waterproof, which is an important distinction when you’re carrying a laptop.
The Matador SEG42 Offers Unrivaled Gear Organization|Graham Averill|August 25, 2020|Outside Online
In 2004, she won election as District Attorney of San Francisco serving with distinction.
Biden-Harris a historic, winning ticket|Peter Rosenstein|August 12, 2020|Washington Blade
One time when this distinction is particularly relevant is following major events such as the debates and party conventions.
How FiveThirtyEight’s 2020 Presidential Forecast Works — And What’s Different Because Of COVID-19|Nate Silver (nrsilver@fivethirtyeight.com)|August 12, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

When we say the brain’s “memory center,” the hippocampus, or the emotion center, the “amygdala,” these distinctions are based on cytoarchitectural maps.
These Scientists Just Completed a 3D ‘Google Earth’ for the Brain|Shelly Fan|August 5, 2020|Singularity Hub
Although Southern did not automatically equal neo-Confederate, at times the distinction could easily get lost.
Steve Scalise Shows There’s a Fine Line Between Confederate & Southern|Lloyd Green|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The distinction between over-policing and non-responsiveness was alive and well in Bed-Stuy.
Ground Zero of the NYPD Slowdown|Batya Ungar-Sargon|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That is a distinction with a sociological difference—for many, an uncomfortable one to consider.
No Gods, No Cops, No Masters|James Poulos|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But this may be a distinction without much of a difference—especially since Scalise admitted speaking before EURO.
GOP Boss Gets Help From ‘White Hate’ Pal|Tim Mak|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It seems like a nuanced distinction, but it could have huge implications.
What the U.S. Can Learn from Europe About Dealing with Terrorists|Scott Beauchamp|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To Harrison and his wife there was no distinction between the executive and judicial branches of the law.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
See the distinction between the "sciences physiques" and the "sciences physiologiques" in the "Anatomic Générale," 1801.
American Addresses, with a Lecture on the Study of Biology|Thomas Henry Huxley
Though by birth duke of St. Cloud, he preferred the ecclesiastical state to political distinction.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
In ordinary work, however, it is safer to base the distinction upon size than upon structure.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
When large forms of the lymphocyte are present, the distinction is often difficult or impossible.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for distinction

distinction

/ (dɪˈstɪŋkʃən) /

noun

the act or an instance of distinguishing or differentiating

a distinguishing feature

the state of being different or distinguishable

special honour, recognition, or fame

excellence of character; distinctive qualitiesa man of distinction

distinguished appearance

a symbol of honour or rank

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

distinction

OTHER WORDS FOR distinction

OPPOSITES FOR distinction

Origin of distinction

synonym study for distinction

OTHER WORDS FROM distinction

Words nearby distinction

Words related to distinction

How to use distinction in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for distinction