distinctive feature

American  

noun

Linguistics.

1. a feature of the sound system of a language that serves as the crucial distinguishing mark between two phonemes, as the distinctive feature of voicing, which distinguishes b from p in English, or nasality, which distinguishes m from b and p.

2. any of a set of phonetic properties, as coronal, nasal, or strident, serving as a basic unit of phonological analysis by which the sounds that are significant in a language can be characterized and distinguished from one another.

3. a component or phonetic feature characterizing a phoneme.

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Etymology

Origin of distinctive feature

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

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

From Science Daily

The doll has other distinctive features, including a rounder face, smaller ears, a flat nasal bridge and eyes that are slightly slanted and almond-shaped.

From Washington Post

Contemporary Russian propaganda has at least two other distinctive features.

From Salon

Charuhas said he often hosted neighborhood dinners in his yard, in part because of its distinctive features.

From Washington Post

But visitors can still enjoy outdoor time in pure mountain air — the distinctive feature that historically made Davos and its sanitariums a magnet for people in search of healing.

From New York Times