distinguishing

American  

[dih-sting-gwi-shing] / dɪˈstɪŋ gwɪ ʃɪŋ /

adjective

1. distinctive; characteristic, as a definitive feature of an individual or group.

   Intricate rhyming is a distinguishing feature of her poetry.

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Other Word Forms

• distinguishingly adverb
• nondistinguishing adjective
• self-distinguishing adjective
• undistinguishing adjective
• undistinguishingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of distinguishing

First recorded in 1660–70; distinguish + -ing ²

Example Sentences

The only distinguishing features were a few hurried strips of grilled chicken and a light dusting of Tony Chachere’s — not stirred into the sauce, mind you, but sprinkled on top, like an afterthought.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

"Iran appears to be distinguishing between a country's alliance and its active participation in the conflict."

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Pangram boasts that its tool is far better than other AI detectors at distinguishing human from AI text.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Only service dogs wearing distinguishing markers are allowed at the park.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

I wanted to tell her that I did have some small difficulty in distinguishing colors, but that I could detect odors very well.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers