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
Among its many distinctions, SPLC is known for bankrupting the Ku Klux Klan.
—
Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
The Kings narrowly cleared the playoff hurdle with the lowest point total, worst goal differential and other ignominious distinctions among postseason qualifiers in a season where goals and wins, particularly in regulation, were rather infrequent.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
How to Choose a Quality Olive Oil Not all olive oils are equal, and label distinctions matter more than most shoppers realize.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2026
One of the most meaningful distinctions between table salt and kosher salt lies not in their crystals, but in what has been added to them.
—Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 23 Apr. 2026
Her records sometimes make facile distinctions difficult, but Fidelity is more wistful and weightless than either Ten Fold or do it afraid.
—Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 22 Apr. 2026
Jeffries on Wednesday, sought to draw distinctions between the way Democrats and Republicans have approached the redistricting issue.
—Justin Papp,dan Mangan, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Looking back at what was absorbed into existing categories rather than singled out, the distinctions become even sharper.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Judgment on the other hand is more about taste, professional intuition, and subtle but often critical qualitative distinctions that often require both talent and experience.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
The Kings narrowly cleared the playoff hurdle with the lowest point total, worst goal differential and other ignominious distinctions among postseason qualifiers in a season where goals and wins, particularly in regulation, were rather infrequent.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
How to Choose a Quality Olive Oil Not all olive oils are equal, and label distinctions matter more than most shoppers realize.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2026
One of the most meaningful distinctions between table salt and kosher salt lies not in their crystals, but in what has been added to them.
—Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 23 Apr. 2026
Her records sometimes make facile distinctions difficult, but Fidelity is more wistful and weightless than either Ten Fold or do it afraid.
—Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 22 Apr. 2026
Jeffries on Wednesday, sought to draw distinctions between the way Democrats and Republicans have approached the redistricting issue.
—Justin Papp,dan Mangan, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Looking back at what was absorbed into existing categories rather than singled out, the distinctions become even sharper.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Judgment on the other hand is more about taste, professional intuition, and subtle but often critical qualitative distinctions that often require both talent and experience.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinctions
Noun
-
Winning the margins Although the Sky’s win was anchored by double-doubles from Cardoso (22 points and 14 rebounds) and Diggins (21 and 11), the game ultimately was won by their ability to maximize advantages at the rim.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2026
-
Evaluate all three carefully before getting started and consider, too, the advantages of splitting a deposit of this size amid two or even all of these account types now.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
The teams will be eyeing more accolades at USRowing Southeast Youth Championships next weekend in Sarasota.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
Her novels have won accolades from the New York Times, the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association, and Junior Library Guild.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Class Notes The Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association held its senior awards banquet at Holy Cross Sunday, honoring many of the state’s top basketball players.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
4 May 2026
-
Saudi Arabia, which accounts for nearly half of the region’s $2 trillion project pipeline, saw awards fall 51% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Choose to act from one aspect of your values, character, essence, or virtues.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 May 2026
-
During a March school board meeting, Nicky Smit — a staff member at Sandburg High School — extolled the virtues of foreign language learning and pressed the district to add Arabic language courses.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Romanticize the Dive, Metric’s tenth album, looks backwards in an attempt to recapture those old glories.—
Ethan Beck,
Pitchfork,
4 May 2026
-
Fascism spins the greatest fictions of all time—about race, about origins, about past and future glories—and people eat them up.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In Northbrook, prizes and awards will be presented for all nine races, from beginners to top-level professionals, Schuler said.—
Phil Rockrohr,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Golden Goblet Awards are among Asia’s most prestigious film prizes.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Pichai carries strong values into his work—economic uplift, compassion for migrants—and says his quest is to build useful things for as many people as possible.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
6 May 2026
-
And his values had been incubated in an earlier era.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Last year’s performance led the Cougars defense and earned him second-team All-Big 12 honors.—
Nate Atkins,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
-
Booysen, a streamer and author from South Africa who holds an undergraduate degree in law, honors degree in psychology, and a master’s in neuropsychology, often travels with Donaldson on overseas trips while working remotely as a neuroscience researcher.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distinctions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinctions. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
