distinguish

verb

dis·tin·guish | \di-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish

Definition of distinguish

1 : to perceive a difference in : mentally separate so alike they could not be distinguished

2a : to mark as separate or different a policy that distinguishes him from other candidates

b : to separate into kinds, classes, or categories distinguish words by their part of speech

c : to make noteworthy or remarkable : to give prominence or distinction (see distinction sense 5) to distinguished themselves as pioneers of hip-hop

d : characterize recipes distinguished by simplicity

3a : discern distinguished a light in the distance could barely distinguish them in the fog

b : to single out : take special notice of

intransitive verb

: to perceive a difference distinguish between right and wrong

Other Words from distinguish Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about distinguish

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Other Words from distinguish

distinguishability \-ˌstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

distinguishable \-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-bəl

\ adjective

distinguishably \-blē

\ adverb

Examples of distinguish in a Sentence

You're old enough to distinguish between fact and fantasy. I have trouble distinguishing between the two of them. I have trouble distinguishing the difference between the two of them. You should be able to distinguish fact from fantasy. The only thing that distinguishes the dogs is their bark. The singer's voice is what distinguishes the band. You can't distinguish the detail from this distance.

Recent Examples on the Web

Garcia says that the untrained eye can’t distinguish one salamander from another, but the nuns, with all their years of experience, can. — National Geographic, "Nuns Resurrect Endangered Salamanders in First-of-its-Kind Conservation Effort," 19 June 2018 But the data does not distinguish between full-time and part-time, so the study counted all students as exempt. — Adam Beam, The Courier-Journal, "Study: Older and less-educated people most likely to lose coverage under Bevin's Medicaid," 16 Feb. 2018 The human ear can distinguish changes at about three decibels, Kiff said. — Hillary Davis, latimes.com, "Quieter JWA takeoff pattern tentatively set to begin March 29," 14 Feb. 2018 To successfully recommend aesthetically pleasing images, Shaji and colleagues developed a tool called EyeEm Vision, which can distinguish between images lacking in visual charm and coherence and master-quality photographs. — Paul Tullis, Town & Country, "Is AI the Future of Good Taste?," 6 Feb. 2018 Children under 4 typically can’t distinguish fantasy from reality. — Sue Shellenbarger, WSJ, "Alexa: Don’t Let My 2-Year-Old Talk to You That Way," 10 July 2018 In a space where people can’t distinguish people from bots, yes. — David Noonan, Scientific American, "The 25% Revolution—How Big Does a Minority Have to Be to Reshape Society?," 8 June 2018 History, however, does not always distinguish between the exceptional and the easy. — Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Justify owner's dilemma: Run Audible in Belmont and risk Triple Crown?," 24 May 2018 But the fact that the WTA doesn't distinguish between genuine impairments and the birth of an infant speaks to just how much ground the tour needs to cover to meet the modern needs of its participants. — Mattie Kahn, Glamour, "Serena Williams Will Return to Grand Slam Tennis At a Lower Rank Because the Sport Still Treats Childbirth Like an Injury," 22 May 2018

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