distinguish

verb dis·tin·guish \ di-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish \

Definition of distinguish

transitive verb

1 : to perceive a difference in : mentally separate

so alike they could not be distinguished

2 a : 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 5) to

distinguished themselves as pioneers of hip-hop

d : characterize

recipes distinguished by simplicity

3 a : 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

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distinguishability

play \-ˌstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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distinguishable

play \-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-bəl\ adjective

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distinguishably

play \-blē\ adverb

See distinguish defined for English-language learners

See distinguish defined for kids

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 of distinguish from the Web

Timothy Endy, a dengue researcher at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, notes that the assay Harris’s group used did not distinguish between binding and neutralizing antibodies—or even the different serotypes.

— jon cohen, Science | AAAS, "Dengue antibodies might trigger life-threatening infections," 2 Nov. 2017
White, 46, inherits a 200-year-old firm greatly reshaped during Downe’s tenure, but one that struggles to distinguish itself from its Canadian rivals.

— doug alexander, Bloomberg.com, "Top Job for BMO's New CEO? Get Past Mediocre to Win Back Hearts," 1 Nov. 2017
The amount of exercise did not distinguish those who lost more from those who lost less.

— gina kolata, New York Times, "A Lesson From the Biggest Losers: Exercise Keeps Off the Weight," 31 Oct. 2017
That makes even faint LoRa signals easy to distinguish from background noise, which fluctuates randomly.

— The Economist, "Wireless dataA clever way to transmit data on the cheap," 13 Sep. 2017
In the last six months, Mayor Jennifer Roberts, Mayor Pro Tem Vi Lyles and State Sen. Joel Ford have criss-crossed the city, campaigning and debating – trying to distinguish themselves from one another.

— steve harrison, charlotteobserver, "Five issues, three Democratic mayoral candidates. How different are they?," 8 Sep. 2017
Instead of tennis, archery, and riflery, there would be milking cows and weeding vegetables, and a boy who distinguished himself would be rewarded not with a badge but with a trowel with his name written on the shaft in black magic marker.

— Town & Country, "Camp Tales," 10 Dec. 2012
The dwarf planet alone accounts for about a third of the belt’s mass, and its icy interior distinguishes it from its rockier neighbors.

— nola taylor redd, Discover Magazine, "Pluto and Ceres: Long Lost Twins?," 10 Nov. 2017
Holes were hard to find and Jalen Hurts struggled at times with his aim as the offensive line failed to distinguish itself in the trenches.

— kevin scarbinsky, AL.com, "That kind of Alabama effort won't win a championship," 4 Nov. 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of distinguish

alteration of Middle English distinguen, from Anglo-French distinguer, from Latin distinguere, literally, to separate by pricking, from dis- + -stinguere (akin to Latin instigare to urge on) — more at stick

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year