distinguish

verb

dis·tin·guish di-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish

distinguished; distinguishing; distinguishes

Synonyms of distinguish next

transitive verb

: to perceive a difference in : mentally separate

so alike they could not be distinguished

: to mark as separate or different

a policy that distinguishes him from other candidates

: to separate into kinds, classes, or categories

distinguish words by their part of speech

: to make noteworthy or remarkable : to give prominence or distinction (see distinction sense 4) to

distinguished themselves as pioneers of hip-hop

: characterize

recipes distinguished by simplicity

: discern

distinguished a light in the distance

could barely distinguish them in the fog

: to single out : take special notice of

intransitive verb

: to perceive a difference

distinguish between right and wrong

distinguishability

di-ˌstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-ˈbi-lə-tē

noun

distinguishable

di-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-bəl

adjective

distinguishably

di-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-blē

adverb

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Some of the limitations to this work include that the brain’s subtle intentions are difficult to distinguish and the same brain-spine interface used for walking, may not be suitable for restoring movement in the upper body. —

Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 May 2023 Looking at the symptoms that distinguish long COVID is helpful for getting a clearer sense of the condition, Horwitz said. —

Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 25 May 2023 But there’s one extra class of items that distinguishes this storefront on the county’s suburban fringe. —

Karim Doumar, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2023 The absence of Logan has distinguished all the lightning-fast insults and ever-changing power plays of these last episodes from all of the lightning-fast insults and ever-changing power plays of previous years. —

Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 15 May 2023 Discord assigned each username an invisible four-digit identifier to distinguish them from duplicates. —

David Hamilton, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2023 However, Colorifix is distinguished by its past product launches. —

John Cumbers, Forbes, 6 May 2023 It is most easily distinguished by its habit of dwelling in trees. —

Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, 3 May 2023 Most municipalities have one line to send wastewater back into the system, and the system doesn’t distinguish between a contaminated gallon flushed from the toilet and reusable water from the washing machine. —

Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 10 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'distinguish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler

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

See more words from the same century