1
as in advantages
a quality that gives something special worth
has the distinction of being the oldest house in the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accolades
public acknowledgment or admiration for an achievement
I did all of the work, and the other guy got all the distinction
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in awards
something given in recognition of achievement
won a number of distinctions in her long career as an actress
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 distinctions
Those distinctions are not coincidental.
—
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Spending and spending effectively are key distinctions.
—Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Hieronymus Bock, in his Kreüter Buch, puts both heating and cooling effects in context by building finer distinctions between types of pomegranates.
—Demir Alp, JSTOR Daily, 29 Aug. 2025
If the theory is wrong, astronomers might observe something new — subtle distinctions that reveal the unique history and makeup of each black hole.
—Matt Von Hippel, Quanta Magazine, 27 Aug. 2025
Messaging must make distinctions, but also avoid getting lost in parenthetic abstractions or potentially easier-to-discredit targets.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
Whether the drivers know this and whether the police officers can recognize these distinctions isn’t yet clear.
—Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
There are distinctions in other parts of the Constitution between people and citizens.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 22 Aug. 2025
These distinctions matter, says Boyle, because while advances in medicine have extended lifespan, both healthspan and brainspan have lagged behind.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 22 Aug. 2025
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Spending and spending effectively are key distinctions.
—Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Hieronymus Bock, in his Kreüter Buch, puts both heating and cooling effects in context by building finer distinctions between types of pomegranates.
—Demir Alp, JSTOR Daily, 29 Aug. 2025
If the theory is wrong, astronomers might observe something new — subtle distinctions that reveal the unique history and makeup of each black hole.
—Matt Von Hippel, Quanta Magazine, 27 Aug. 2025
Messaging must make distinctions, but also avoid getting lost in parenthetic abstractions or potentially easier-to-discredit targets.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
Whether the drivers know this and whether the police officers can recognize these distinctions isn’t yet clear.
—Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
There are distinctions in other parts of the Constitution between people and citizens.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 22 Aug. 2025
These distinctions matter, says Boyle, because while advances in medicine have extended lifespan, both healthspan and brainspan have lagged behind.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinctions
Noun
-
This design offers several potential advantages.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
-
For smaller teams, this approach offers notable advantages.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The latter two were honored with accolades like the 2025 Video Vanguard Award and the Latin Icon Award, respectively.—
Mikelle Street,
Them.,
8 Sep. 2025
-
His time with the Packers included leading them to a Super Bowl victory and capturing several NFL MVP Awards, among other accolades and statistical achievements.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
After about 7 years of not attending the MTV VMAs, Ariana Grande took home multiple major awards at this year's awards show.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Swift and Beyoncé entered the evening tied for the most-ever VMA awards.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Yet reinterpreted through the lens of family capital, these qualities become virtues.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Becoming a saint In the Catholic faith, sainthood is reserved for those who have lived a life of heroic virtues, offered their life for others or died for their faith, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.—
Lauren Costantino
September 6,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Since taking the reins as the CEO of its racing division in late 2016, Brown has overseen McLaren’s evolution from a team stuck in the shadow of past glories to one that now sits atop the F1 world once more.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
-
The poet’s reminiscences form the core of several poems that rank among the glories of twentieth-century American literature.—
Dan Chiasson,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The $2,000,000 Lucky game launched in May, and since then players have won more than $27 million in prizes — and more than $77 million in prizes are left, including two more top prizes.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
-
For an additional $1 per play, the Power Play feature can multiply non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five or 10 times.—
Tanya Wildt,
Freep.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The decrease in property values is what the agency said prompted it to step in and set the nearly 7% increase for all 2024 residential property valuations.—
Madeline King,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Nicole Kidman adds just the right amount of menace as a villainous taxidermist, but the heart of the movie lies in its celebration of kindness, decency and family—values that feel refreshingly radical in our cynical times.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
According to a news release, the annual award honors and recognizes teachers who exemplify excellence in their profession as well as those who leave a lasting positive impact on their students.—
Pioneer Press,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
With more than 120 million albums sold nationwide, Osbourne was a five-time Grammy winner, two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, both with Black Sabbath in 2006 and as a solo artist in 2024, with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Birmingham Walk of Stars, among other honors.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distinctions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinctions. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share