distinctive

[dih-stingk-tiv]

adjective

1. serving to distinguish; characteristic; distinguishing: distinguishing.

   the distinctive stripes of the zebra.

   Synonyms: individual

2. having a special quality, style, attractiveness, etc.; notable.

distinctive

/ dɪˈstɪŋktɪv /

adjective

1. serving or tending to distinguish

2. 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

• distinctively adverb
• distinctiveness noun
• subdistinctive adjective
• subdistinctively adverb
• subdistinctiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of distinctive¹

First recorded in 1575–85; from Medieval Latin distinctīvus; equivalent to distinct + -ive

Example Sentences

His writing was often philosophical or scientific, but consistently funny, a distinctive style that gave rise to the term Stoppardian.

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Although his public persona was quite vivid—convivial, erudite but unpretentious, articulate, and unfailingly charming—he did not imbue his buildings with a distinctive graphic sensibility.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The finding suggests that this type of compositionality may be a distinctive feature of the prefrontal cortex.

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In 2016, Hogg designed the statuette for the Brit Awards, producing 13 trophies characterised by her distinctive use of glitter and metallic tones.

Read more on BBC

These distinctive textures offer insight into Mars's former climate.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• cool 
• extraordinary 
• idiosyncratic 
• offbeat 
• original 
• peculiar 
• singular 
• special 
• weird