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
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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
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6
as in difference
the quality or state of being different
the distinction between the two photographic prints escapes me
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinction
But many physicists are not convinced by this cut-and-dried distinction.
—
Dipangkar Dutta, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
Beyond improving mobility, the transition marked a step forward in gender equality within the police, eliminating visual distinctions and reinforcing that women could perform the same duties as men on the streets of Sweden.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
My guess is that those who signed the pledge are unlikely to make fine distinctions.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025
Guadagnino draws no such distinction.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinction
Dipangkar Dutta, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
Beyond improving mobility, the transition marked a step forward in gender equality within the police, eliminating visual distinctions and reinforcing that women could perform the same duties as men on the streets of Sweden.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
My guess is that those who signed the pledge are unlikely to make fine distinctions.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025
Guadagnino draws no such distinction.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinction
Noun
-
But like Lurie did in moving on from Pederson and Kraft has done in dumping Belichick, Ross must stop displaying eternal patience and be more adamant about demanding excellence.—
Barry Jackson
Updated October 7,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
-
That said, one thing that stood out to me throughout this experiment was the overall excellence of the projection.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
One major advantage of developing artificial intelligence in China lies in the availability of large, high-quality datasets, particularly coming from hospitals that are often willing to share medical information for research purposes.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Who is looking strongest for these next three races/who has the advantage beyond just points standings?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The 29-year-old Wilson finished with 31 points and nine rebounds to add another ring to her collection of accolades which include being named MVP for a record-breaking fourth time this season.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The president’s chances of winning the accolade depend on a number of factors including the durability of the ceasefire agreements his regime helped organize in 2025.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
After two years of the Florida Panthers’ postseason dominance, is the road clear for another team to win the Stanley Cup?—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The deal marks a major endorsement of AMD's AI hardware and software capabilities as the company competes with Nvidia for dominance in the AI chip market.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Today, the Nobel Prize in Physics remains widely regarded as the most prestigious award in the discipline.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The award will honor the best drama project selected from the MIA Drama Co-production Market & Pitching Forum, as chosen by a jury from Sony Pictures Television.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak reminds us, any meaningful engagement must contend with internal difference, historical specificity, and political complexity.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky hoped to put their differences aside to vanquish the Kabuki Warriors in Asuka and Kairi Sane.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The actress formally filed for divorce in Nashville one day later, citing irreconcilable difference and listing the date of separation as the time of filing.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Among these compounds are salts called electrolytes, which could suppress charge separation between gas bubbles.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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 12 Oct. 2025.
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