Showing results for "distinguishing"

• present participle of distinguish.

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.

---

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of distinguishing

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

distinguishing

Inspecting roofs, especially distinguishing between wind and hail damage, involves a certain degree of subjective judgment.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

There is also value in distinguishing between information and action — research on perceived control and stress consistently shows that the gap between awareness and agency is one of the strongest predictors of psychological distress.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 16, 2026

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has focused on distinguishing between disappearances committed by organized crime and those forced by state agents.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

X-Energy has early commercial agreements with Amazon and Dow, distinguishing it from competitors.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

The letter concluded with a long list of various types of ferns, complete with their distinguishing characteristics.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood