1
as in different
being not of the same kind
she seems to alternate between two distinctive hairstyles
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distinct
serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group
the distinctive odor of a barnyard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 distinctive
Instead of white sand, black sand, or even popcorn sand, the beach has sand with a distinctive green color.
—
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2025
Charli XCX‘s Brat, the winner of best recording package last year, went viral for its distinctive bright green hue and simplistic typeface, which put all the attention on the title and turned it into a cultural moment that everyone wanted to identify with.
—Lina Lecaro, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
One distinctive thing about this recipe is that the semisweet chocolate squares, milk, and butter are melted together in a saucepan on the stove and then slightly cooled before being whisked in with the eggs and vanilla.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
Within five minutes, officers found Lewis less than two blocks from the stabbing, wearing the same clothing and a distinctive compass chain described by the victim and a witness.
—Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinctive
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2025
Charli XCX‘s Brat, the winner of best recording package last year, went viral for its distinctive bright green hue and simplistic typeface, which put all the attention on the title and turned it into a cultural moment that everyone wanted to identify with.
—Lina Lecaro, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
One distinctive thing about this recipe is that the semisweet chocolate squares, milk, and butter are melted together in a saucepan on the stove and then slightly cooled before being whisked in with the eggs and vanilla.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
Within five minutes, officers found Lewis less than two blocks from the stabbing, wearing the same clothing and a distinctive compass chain described by the victim and a witness.
—Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinctive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinctive
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
-
One site, as reported by Phys, had a distinct path, whereas another lacked these types of markers.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Among the most popular are Scorpios, Macakizi, and Xuma Village, each offering its own distinct energy, style, and soundtrack.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
5 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 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
Adjective
-
The structure of Pittsburgh’s tax, which involves applying a different rate to nonresidents, is distinguishable from many other such taxes, which typically apply the same rate to visiting players.—
Robert Raiola,
Sportico.com,
27 Sep. 2025
-
The 300-second exposure shows the wandering solar system body as a minute dot, barely distinguishable among the stellar giants populating the distant starfield beyond.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Stephen Glennon, vice president, national accounts at OEC Group, noted that there wasn’t the typical peak season this year.—
Sarah Jones,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The buck has 14 points and rough scores as a non-typical at 184 inches.—
Bob McNally,
Outdoor Life,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distinctive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinctive. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share