distinctive

adjective

dis·tinc·tive | \ di-ˈstiŋ(k)-tiv

Definition of distinctive

1a : marking as separate or different : serving to distinguish the distinctive flight of the crane

b : having or giving an uncommon and appealing quality : having or giving style or distinction a distinctive table setting a writer with a distinctive prose style

2 linguistics : capable of making a segment of utterance different in meaning as well as in sound from an otherwise identical utterance

Other Words from distinctive Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about distinctive

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Choose the Right Synonym for distinctive

characteristic, individual, peculiar, distinctive mean indicating a special quality or identity. characteristic applies to something that distinguishes or identifies a person or thing or class. responded with her characteristic wit individual stresses qualities that distinguish one from all other members of the same kind or class. a highly individual writing style peculiar applies to qualities possessed only by a particular individual or class or kind and stresses rarity or uniqueness. an eccentricity that is peculiar to the British distinctive indicates qualities distinguishing and uncommon and often superior or praiseworthy. a distinctive aura of grace and elegance

Examples of distinctive in a Sentence

He had a very distinctive walk. This wine has a more distinctive flavor than that one. The store sells only the most distinctive chocolates.

Recent Examples on the Web

Diplodocus-like neosauropods were thought to have never made it to East Asia because this region was cut-off from the rest of the world by Jurassic seaways, so that China evolved its own distinctive and separate dinosaur fauna. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "New 'Amazing Dragon' Dinosaur Upends What We Thought We Knew About Sauropods," 26 July 2018 Crete, Greece The largest Greek isle, Crete is also one of the most distinctive, with its own unmistakable culture, landscape, cuisine, and mythological history. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best Islands in the World: 2018 Readers' Choice Awards," 9 Oct. 2018 Roeg’s works were renowned for his distinctive cinematography style, which was often nontraditionally moody and beautifully dark. — Vogue, "The Man Who Fell to Earth," 24 Nov. 2018 This one was graced with a distinctive clock tower. — Jon Talton, The Seattle Times, "No single force brought down Sears, but the lessons are haunting," 16 Oct. 2018 With this collection, the Jason Wu brand brings glamorous sensibility paired with their distinctive feminine design style. — Ana Colon, Glamour, "Eloquii Is Collaborating With Jason Wu on a Fall 2018 Collection," 24 July 2018 The distinctive Carvana tower isn’t the only interesting structure to have gone up on I-270 in recent months. — John Kelly, Washington Post, "That mysterious glass tower on I-270? It spits out used cars. Here’s how.," 17 June 2018 But her candor about her emotional ups and down, her distinctive makeup style and her hysterical, singular performances have made me Stan. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "Who Should Win Season 10 of 'RuPaul's Drag Race': Staff Picks," 15 June 2018 Power for workers: This is the area where Biden’s thinking is most distinctive. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Joe Biden is leading the 2020 polls. Here’s what he thinks about policy.," 18 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'distinctive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

9 Mar 2019

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The first known use of distinctive was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for distinctive

distinctive

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of distinctive

: having a quality or characteristic that makes a person or thing different from others : different in a way that is easy to notice

: appealing or interesting because of an unusual quality or characteristic

See the full definition for distinctive in the English Language Learners Dictionary

distinctive

adjective

dis·tinc·tive | \ di-ˈstiŋk-tiv

Kids Definition of distinctive

1 : clearly marking a person or a thing as different from others As they got closer he … could hear Mr. Sir's distinctive bark.— Louis Sachar, Holes

2 : having or giving a special look or way distinctive clothes