distinguish
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to mark off as different (often followed by from orby ).
He was distinguished from the other boys by his height.
-
to recognize as distinct or different; recognize the salient or individual features or characteristics of.
It is hard to distinguish her from her twin sister.
- Antonyms:
- confuse
-
to perceive clearly by sight or other sense; discern; recognize.
He could not distinguish many of the words.
-
to set apart as different; be a distinctive characteristic of; characterize.
It is his Italian accent that distinguishes him.
-
to make prominent, conspicuous, or eminent.
to distinguish oneself in battle.
-
to divide into classes; classify.
Let us distinguish the various types of metaphor.
-
Archaic. to single out for or honor with special attention.
verb (used without object)
-
to indicate or show a difference (usually followed bybetween ).
-
to recognize or note differences; discriminate.
verb
-
to make, show, or recognize a difference or differences (between or among); differentiate (between)
-
to be a distinctive feature of; characterize
-
to make out; perceive
-
to mark for a special honour or title
-
to make (oneself) noteworthy
he distinguished himself by his cowardice
-
to classify; categorize
we distinguished three species
Related Words
Distinguish, differentiate, discriminate suggest an attempt to analyze characteristic features or qualities of things. To distinguish is to recognize the characteristic features belonging to a thing: to distinguish a light cruiser from a heavy cruiser. To discriminate is to perceive the particular, nice, or exact differences between things, to determine wherein these differences consist, and to estimate their significance: to discriminate prejudiced from unprejudiced testimony. To differentiate is to point out exactly and in detail the differences between (usually) two things: The symptoms of both diseases are so similar that it is hard to differentiate one from another.
Other Word Forms
- distinguishable adjective
- distinguishably adverb
- distinguisher noun
- distinguishing adjective
- distinguishingly adverb
- distinguishment noun
- interdistinguish verb (used with object)
- predistinguish verb (used with object)
- redistinguish verb
Etymology
Origin of distinguish
First recorded in 1555–65; extension, by -ish 2, of Middle English disting(u)en (from Anglo-French, Middle French distinguer ), from Latin distinguere; see distinct
Explanation
To distinguish means to tell apart. If you win the lottery, you’re going to need to learn to distinguish between people who really like you and people who like your money. To distinguish is to discern, which means to perceive or recognize the way something differs from what’s around it. It takes discerning taste buds to distinguish between Coke and Pepsi. Distinguish also means to separate yourself out from the pack, usually in a good way. You might distinguish yourself at a Comics Convention with your encyclopedic knowledge of Krazy Kat.
Vocabulary lists containing distinguish
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary of the Common Core
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He needed to roar about his many accomplishments in his 35-year career in Sacramento and Washington, to distinguish himself from the relative political neophytes around him.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
Some tried to distinguish between offensive and defensive weapons, with only the latter deemed acceptable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Researchers often struggle to distinguish these rare signaling molecules from the many inactive fragments created during normal protein breakdown.
From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026
"The imagery is blurrier. I cannot distinguish between cars, vehicles, things like that," he said.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
It is important here to distinguish this claim from the argument with which this chapter started.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
