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
The Supporters’ Shield is given for the best regular-season record -- but that distinction turned bittersweet fast when Miami then stunningly lost to Atlanta in the first round of the MLS playoffs.
—
Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 29 June 2025
Saturday night’s 9-2 loss, which featured Carlos Mendoza’s first ejection as Mets manager and led to a players’ meeting, overtook the completely-unofficial-yet-nonetheless-dubious distinction.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 29 June 2025
This accomplishment was decades in the making, but Winfrey also had the distinction of being the first Black woman on the billionaire list, reported The Ledger.
—Diane J. Cho, People.com, 28 June 2025
LeBron James retains the distinction of being the youngest player in league history to be taken with the top overall pick.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinction
Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 29 June 2025
Saturday night’s 9-2 loss, which featured Carlos Mendoza’s first ejection as Mets manager and led to a players’ meeting, overtook the completely-unofficial-yet-nonetheless-dubious distinction.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 29 June 2025
This accomplishment was decades in the making, but Winfrey also had the distinction of being the first Black woman on the billionaire list, reported The Ledger.
—Diane J. Cho, People.com, 28 June 2025
LeBron James retains the distinction of being the youngest player in league history to be taken with the top overall pick.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinction
Noun
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Their stories—rooted in resilience, strategy, faith, and fire—speak directly to Black women and girls watching, learning, and preparing to take their place in the lineage of excellence.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
10 July 2025
-
This year marks Reda’s 160th anniversary, celebrating history, innovation, sustainability and more than a century of textile excellence.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Kansas State has beaten the Jayhawks 16 straight times, but Missouri owns a razor-thin advantage in the Border War.—
Blake Toppmeyer,
The Tennessean,
12 July 2025
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Yet Crawley carved out her niche not through aggressive marketing spend but through product innovation that photographs well—a crucial advantage in the Instagram economy.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
Oval Beach often receives accolades as one of the best beaches in Michigan.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
13 July 2025
-
Mayer previously ran the Mentors at Cordova High program and was awarded the 2012 Rancho Cordovan of the Year accolade.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
Known for his dominance on both ends of the floor, Diarra was named the Dikembe Mutombo Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in his BAL career.—
Sindiswa Mabunda,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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Those two teams have won nine of the past 12 Grand Tour titles, and their spending matches their dominance.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
The Tennessean wins for podcast, feature series Tennessean journalist Keith Sharon won a first place award in the podcast series category for his work on Murder on Music Row, released last May.—
Molly Davis,
The Tennessean,
13 July 2025
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Last season, the righty was a Cy Young contender in the AL and only lost out on the award because of Tarik Skubal's incredible season.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
Explore the differences between blanco, reposado, and añejo, learn about the traditional distillation process, and discover what makes a truly exceptional pour.—
Essence,
Essence,
10 July 2025
-
One difference to fungal wilts is that the leaf tissue of plants infected by bacterial wilt tends to stay green even as the plant wilts.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 July 2025
Noun
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On the show, the long-time parenting expert helped families address issues like lack of discipline, controlling behavior, sleep separation, disrespect and communication.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
14 July 2025
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During the early 1990s California environmental regulators detected low-level radioactive wastewater leaking from the separation plant’s pipelines.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
12 July 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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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
Cite this Entry
“Distinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinction. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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