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

More than five years after retiring as one of TV’s most recognizable and distinctive personalities, he has transitioned to riffing on weathering the ravages of aging.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Delbis is a tall, good-natured young man who speaks with a distinctive cadence and in an unwaveringly calm tone.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It takes more than 100 gallons of paint to make Jack the perfect shade of orange and provide his distinctive facial features.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"The design on the back of his jacket was a circular design, and it was quite distinctive," PC Rue added.

Read more on BBC

Because Mr. Parker processes his voice so heavily, it’s easy to forget that he’s a distinctive lyricist—his words are resonant even as the arrangements keep one’s ear on the gleaming surfaces.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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