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

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

Numerous lawsuits are making their way through the courts, although the judiciary hasn’t settled on a single conclusion about where the line stands distinguishing “fair use” from copyright infringement.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

A distinguishing feature is that on each hand, the possum's fourth finger is twice the length of other digits, which scientists say help it dig out wood-boring insect larvae, it's main source of food.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

But the longer she spent in America, the better she had become at distinguishing, sometimes from looks and gait, but mostly from bearing and demeanor, that fine-grained mark that culture stamps on people.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie