1
as in excellence
exceptionally high quality
a shop selling native handicrafts of distinction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in advantage
a quality that gives something special worth
has the distinction of being the oldest house in the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in accolade
public acknowledgment or admiration for an achievement
I did all of the work, and the other guy got all the distinction
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in dominance
the fact or state of being above others in rank or importance
a number of physicians of national distinction serve on the staff of the teaching hospital
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in award
something given in recognition of achievement
won a number of distinctions in her long career as an actress
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in difference
the quality or state of being different
the distinction between the two photographic prints escapes me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in separation
the state of being kept distinct
the distinction between liberty and license is often violated in today's freewheeling society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinction
That’s an important point of distinction in the labor dispute.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 31 Oct. 2025
This distinction underscores that soft goth, while rooted in rebellion, embraces innovation and polish rather than nostalgia alone.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
But a new, more complete skeleton found in the Hell Creek Formation helped to make those distinctions, according to the paper.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 30 Oct. 2025
At that point, Category 6 opponents argue, there’s little further distinction to be made about just how dire the situation will be.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinction
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 31 Oct. 2025
This distinction underscores that soft goth, while rooted in rebellion, embraces innovation and polish rather than nostalgia alone.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
But a new, more complete skeleton found in the Hell Creek Formation helped to make those distinctions, according to the paper.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 30 Oct. 2025
At that point, Category 6 opponents argue, there’s little further distinction to be made about just how dire the situation will be.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinction
Noun
-
Knighthoods, conferred by the sovereign, represent one of the highest forms of national recognition for service and excellence.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Justin’s heritage continues to inspire excellence.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez was dead against the idea, with his club arguing that breaking the traditional home and away format adulterated the competition, while also expressing concern over participating teams gaining a financial advantage.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Legalized betting has certain security advantages in that unusual betting patterns — such as large bets being placed on a random player’s performance — can be immediately flagged.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Federal investigation reveals wide criminal net Browse the website of Chen’s Prince Group, and the company’s public image is one of charitable endeavors, business accolades and awards for corporate social responsibility initiatives, large donations to anti-Covid efforts, and education programs.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Awarded writers and filmmakers received accolades from industry partners including AMC Networks, Enderby Entertainment, Josephson Entertainment and the Writers Guild of America East.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Kimberly-Clark has been attempting to challenge the dominance of consumer goliath Procter & Gamble, whose business spans all drugstore aisles, including cold and digestion medicines.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Harmanpreet Kaur’s squad was the first, first-time champion since 2000, when New Zealand ended the long dominance of Australia and England.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The district board is set to adopt its 2025-26 grant award list at its regular meeting Tuesday.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Durant is one of just five players to win consecutive Finals MVP awards, alongside Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.—
Jordy Fee-Platt,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
With goal difference not a factor in this three-match format, there was no incentive for Miami to push forward in the final period, and Nashville never looked like turning the contest around.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Careful measurement of these differences might still allow scientists to distinguish between the two scenarios.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That old story survived the reevaluation of war that took place during the Enlightenment; the transformation of the modern battlefield by mass mobilization and factory-scale killing in the twentieth century; and now, the separation between killer and target facilitated by technology.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
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Other than a few palm trees, there’s not much shade—or separation from your neighbor—in the park’s RV campground.—
Pam LeBlanc,
Southern Living,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Education was considered an individual pursuit marked by moral excellency and only the students who did the best in school would have proceeded to higher education.—
Sara Novak,
Discover Magazine,
12 Nov. 2024
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Zurich said the Game Changer Award pays tribute to excellency in the film business with a focus on leaders that not only cherish change and forward-thinking approaches in the business, but also stand for the DNA of what cinema has represented since its invention.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Distinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinction. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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