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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective distinct contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of distinct are apparent, clear, evident, manifest, obvious, patent, and plain. While all these words mean "readily perceived or apprehended," distinct implies such sharpness of outline or definition that no unusual effort to see or hear or comprehend is required.

a distinct refusal

How do apparent and evident relate to one another, in the sense of distinct?

Apparent is very close to evident except that it may imply more conscious exercise of inference.

for no apparent reason

When is clear a more appropriate choice than distinct?

The synonyms clear and distinct are sometimes interchangeable, but clear implies an absence of anything that confuses the mind or obscures the pattern.

a clear explanation

When would evident be a good substitute for distinct?

In some situations, the words evident and distinct are roughly equivalent. However, evident implies presence of visible signs that lead one to a definite conclusion.

an evident fondness for sweets

When is it sensible to use manifest instead of distinct?

The words manifest and distinct can be used in similar contexts, but manifest implies an external display so evident that little or no inference is required.

manifest hostility

In what contexts can obvious take the place of distinct?

The words obvious and distinct are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, obvious implies such ease in discovering that it often suggests conspicuousness or little need for perspicacity in the observer.

the obvious solution

When could patent be used to replace distinct?

The meanings of patent and distinct largely overlap; however, patent applies to a cause, effect, or significant feature that is clear and unmistakable once attention has been directed to it.

patent defects

Where would plain be a reasonable alternative to distinct?

While in some cases nearly identical to distinct, plain suggests lack of intricacy, complexity, or elaboration.

her feelings about him are plain

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distinct Without proximity to these prestigious networks, they’re left to compete at a distinct disadvantage. Sarah Maokosy, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025 Divided into a quintet of distinct chapters and covering everything from Scorsese’s formative years on the mean streets of downtown Manhattan to prepping his 2023 epic Killers of the Flower Moon, this marathon-length look at a true American master has its share of best-in-show highlight reels. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025 And while lawsuits over AI training data have begun piling up—including one filed by against OpenAI—others center on how generative tools imitate distinct styles. Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 Called Sport Offense, the theory is to align its three brands — Nike, Jordan and Converse — into teams by sport that should help the company give each brand its own distinct identity through innovative storytelling and connecting with the communities of athletes who buy Nike’s product. Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for distinct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinct
Adjective
  • Businesses also use VPNs to keep their proprietary information and data on a single server, especially if workers are spread out among different offices, according to developer platform Cloudflare.
    Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Unfortunately, the offensive line that has done well in the first four weeks of the season is set to look far different in Week 5, which Cowboys fans learned in the team's injury report released on Friday.
    Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • When Swift won the 2015 Grammy for album of the year, cameras captured Gomez tearing up in the audience, her pride unmistakable.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The reference point was unmistakable.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The team plans to expand the research to evaluate inhaler emissions in specific patient groups, such as Medicaid recipients, and to compare clinical outcomes of low- and high-emission inhalers in the same therapeutic class.
    Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The guidelines contain specific terminology and targets for calories and nutrients that guide federal food aid for mothers and infants, free school lunches and what's served at military bases and in federal prisons.
    Will Stone, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Ross, with his distinctive afro, soothing voice and sunny outlook, empowered millions of viewers to make and appreciate art through his show The Joy of Painting.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Because the brand has not had a particularly distinctive point of view for several seasons, Dario Vitale successfully mixed it up with very retro references, a youthful exuberance, and separated his point of view from his predecessor, Donatella.
    Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Armenia was another new sourcing showcase, with an offer of 11 manufacturers of diverse profiles, from sportswear to outerwear.
    Ellen Groves, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Taiwan president Lai Ching-te promised to honor the referendum result while focusing on diverse energy sources.
    Yu-Tzu Chiu, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Seahawks put the Bucs in obvious situations, then offered little resistance.
    Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • One obvious strategy to try to tackle the staffing problems is to close more prisons, and this year’s state budget authorized Governor Hochul to close up to three more.
    Jennifer Gonnerman, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Make no mistake, though, this footballing mecca, where the turnstiles closed for the final time 25 years ago this week, was a truly special place.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Receiving that nomination, specifically for that album, was just so special.
    Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The squeals, heavy breathing, and tail thrashing of the headline attraction, the ominous pitter-patter of a chestburster scuttling across the floor, and the characteristic crunch of a chestburster smashing through an unfortunate ribcage are all integral to the extra-terrestrial horror.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
  • If the Supreme Court officially makes the chief executive a unitary executive, the advancement of the public good may depend on little more than the whims of the president, a state of affairs normally more characteristic of dictatorship than democracy.
    Graham G. Dodds, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Distinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinct. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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