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 result was not mediocrity, but high competence without distinction.
—
Big Think, 20 Mar. 2026
With prices rising, that distinction matters more than ever.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026
The distinction produced a series of absurd encounters.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
This is an important distinction for visual storytelling, which involves reducing what can be thousands of square feet of space and years of meticulous furniture sourcing into just a handful of snapshots.
—Diana Budds, Architectural Digest, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distinction
Big Think, 20 Mar. 2026
With prices rising, that distinction matters more than ever.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026
The distinction produced a series of absurd encounters.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
This is an important distinction for visual storytelling, which involves reducing what can be thousands of square feet of space and years of meticulous furniture sourcing into just a handful of snapshots.
—Diana Budds, Architectural Digest, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinction
Noun
-
Elite requires consistent excellence Pivetta, who debuted with the Phillies in 2017, threw at least six scoreless innings while allowing no more than one hit six times from 2019 through ‘24.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
-
LeBron’s love for the game and for excellence must be celebrated.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Illinois, which had a huge height advantage, held VCU to 35% shooting and outrebounded the Rams 45-29.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Oklahoma used a 7-0 run late in the first quarter for a double-digit advantage and then outscored Idaho 30-16 in the second quarter for a 57-35 lead at the half.—
Rachel Roberts,
Idaho Statesman,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
After fueling a fourth-quarter comeback win for the Nuggets (43-28) on Friday night, the 33-year-old guard admitted the accolade has been on his mind as a source of motivation.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Sellout crowds and a spirited students section earned accolades across the country, encouraging the NCAA shot-callers to keep San Diego in the rotation.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In Europe’s boardrooms, the growing dominance of English isn’t just a matter of habit; it’s also driven by global business demands, with effects that reach into areas such as rules and safety.—
Aslesha Mehta,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 2026
-
His off-the-cuff Mount Rushmore of Jeezy hits reads like a blueprint for the residency itself—tracks that span hunger, triumph, introspection, and dominance.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Cosby’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said in an email after the initial award earlier Monday that they are disappointed and fully intend to appeal the verdict.—
Andrew Dalton,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The grants were reinstated under court order in December, and the agency is now accepting applications for 13 grants whose awards range from $5,000 to $1 million.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The legislation was the Senate’s attempt to reconcile the differences between the two bills before sending them back to the House.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
-
One key difference is that airports using private contractors have reported fewer disruptions tied to the shutdown.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The membrane could also enable selective separation of ions with the same electric charge by exploiting subtle differences in how ions behave under an electric field.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Emmanuel, who served for two years in the Obama administration and was a policy advisor to President Bill Clinton, told the outlet that government employees must have clear lines of separation between government and betting.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
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 27 Mar. 2026.
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