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 is a critical distinction, and one that is already being fought over fiercely in the legal realm.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025
Beyond winning the Dodgers a second championship in three seasons, that game carries another distinction.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025
Far bigger an issue than Netflix’s habitual gaming of the system has been the degree to which streaming movies have for all practical purposes obliterated the distinction between television and film.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
Mark Updegrove said a distinction is social media amplifying extreme views.
—Doc Louallen, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinction
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025
Beyond winning the Dodgers a second championship in three seasons, that game carries another distinction.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025
Far bigger an issue than Netflix’s habitual gaming of the system has been the degree to which streaming movies have for all practical purposes obliterated the distinction between television and film.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
Mark Updegrove said a distinction is social media amplifying extreme views.
—Doc Louallen, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinction
Noun
-
In 1996, The Webby Awards were launched to honor excellence on the internet at a time when the web itself was still a novelty.—
Ian Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Royals catcher Carter Jensen headlined the list of organizational award-winners who demonstrated excellence on and off the field.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Boomsma said any traits the ants have evolved are adaptations driven by natural selection, and creating fitter hybrid workers provided a competitive advantage, allowing Iberian harvester ants to extend their range vastly.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The Wave now hold a 6-2-1 advantage in the all-time regular season series.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In 2020, he was awarded with the National Book Award’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and has received other accolades such as a PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award, the Robert Kirsch Award and several Edgar and NAACP Image Awards.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The accolades keep coming for Lilo, the immersive 22-seat fine-dining restaurant that opened in April in Carlsbad.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
English has became the de facto language of governance, law, and commerce through usage and cultural dominance, not through a mandate.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Meta has previously butted heads with Apple over policies related to the iPhone maker’s App Store, and Zuckerberg has previously criticized the iPhone maker’s App Store dominance.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The award shows look over many who should be honored.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The Grammys took note of Cardi B’s rising star as she was nominated for five awards, including album and record of the year.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Your wallet — and your customer service experience — will depend on knowing the difference.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
For planes flying 30,000 feet above sea level or military vehicles traveling through combat zones, that level of reliability can mean the difference between life and death.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The move from a monolithic intelligence model to a modular agentic system aligns clearly with principles of separation of concerns, which are foundational in systems and software architecture.—
Gopikrishnan Anilkumar,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Advertisement Advertisement For workers, these raids meant detention, family separation, and deportation.—
Jenn Tardy,
Time,
10 Sep. 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 17 Sep. 2025.
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