distinguish

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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

—

distinguishability

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

—

distinguishable

play \-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-bəl\ adjective

—

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

Though his play was clearly compromised by recurring leaks in his offensive line, Jackson failed to distinguish himself in any of those season-ending losses and facilitated Kentucky’s shocker with a late, reckless fumble.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Results, not race, main factor in Lamar Jackson's diminished buzz | Tim Sullivan," 30 Aug. 2017
O’Brien said Hood found his goals and distinguished himself in the Army.

— sue kiesewetter, Cincinnati.com, "Trustees may name Lakota West Drive in parachutist's honor," 25 Aug. 2017
Trump doesn’t generally distinguish between those two things.

— philip bump, Washington Post, "Trump’s explanation of ‘clean coal’ was wrong — but not as wrong as it sounded," 23 Aug. 2017
Antibodies against dengue and Zika are so similar that standard diagnostic tests can't distinguish one from the other.

— jon cohen, Science | AAAS, "Zika has all but disappeared in the Americas. Why?," 16 Aug. 2017
Delight in the process of distinguishing between what does and does not matter without necessarily knowing the entirety of your grand vision yet.

— bess matassa, Teen Vogue, "Weekly Horoscopes August Week 3," 11 Aug. 2017
As the Tide rolled to a 14-1 record and burnished its status as an elite program, the other 13 teams struggled to distinguish themselves.

— rainer sabin, AL.com, "Why Alabama's dominance is elephant in SEC media room," 12 July 2017
Advocates say capital punishment was not intended for people who are incapable of distinguishing between delusions and reality.

— ann e. marimow, Washington Post, "Va. governor declines to halt execution of killer whose mental illness spurred clemency bid," 6 July 2017
Advocates say capital punishment was not intended for people who are incapable of distinguishing between delusions and reality.

— the washington post, AL.com, "Virginia governor rejects clemency for William C. Morva, inmate facing execution tonight," 6 July 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

See Words from the same year

distinguish Synonyms

Synonyms

difference, differentiate, discern, discriminate, secern, separate

Antonyms

confuse, mistake, mix (up)

Related Words

contradistinguish; comprehend, grasp, know, understand; divide, part, sever; demarcate, mark (off), set off

Near Antonyms

confound, lump (together), mingle

DISTINGUISH Defined for English Language Learners

distinguish

play

verb

Definition of distinguish for English Language Learners

: to notice or recognize a difference between people or things
: to make (someone or something) different or special in some way
: to see or hear (someone or something) clearly

DISTINGUISH Defined for Kids

distinguish

play

verb dis·tin·guish \ di-ˈstiŋ-gwish \

Definition of distinguish for Students

distinguished; distinguishing

1 :to recognize one thing from others by some mark or quality

He distinguished the sound of the piano in the orchestra.

2 :to hear or see clearly

You can't distinguish her face in this photo.

3 :to know the difference

Can you distinguish between right and wrong?

4 :to set apart as different or special

She distinguished herself by heroic actions.

Law Dictionary

distinguish

transitive verb dis·tin·guish

legal Definition of distinguish

:to identify or explain differences in or from

distinguished the cases on factual grounds

Learn More about distinguish

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Examples of distinguish in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of distinguish

distinguish Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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DISTINGUISH Defined for English Language Learners

distinguish

Definition of distinguish for English Language Learners

DISTINGUISH Defined for Kids

distinguish

Definition of distinguish for Students

Law Dictionary

distinguish

legal Definition of distinguish

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