Definition of 'distinguish'

Word Frequency

distinguish

(dɪstɪŋgwɪʃ )

Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense distinguishes , present participle distinguishing , past tense, past participle distinguished

1. verb

If you can distinguish one thing from another or distinguish between two things, you can see or understand how they are different.

Could he distinguish right from wrong? [VERB noun + from]

Research suggests that babies learn to see by distinguishing between areas of light and dark. [V + between]

It is necessary to distinguish the policies of two successive governments. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: differentiate, determine, separate, discriminate More Synonyms of distinguish

2. verb

A feature or quality that distinguishes one thing from another causes the two things to be regarded as different, because only the first thing has the feature or quality.

There is something about music that distinguishes it from all other art forms. [VERB noun + from]

The bird has no distinguishing features. [VERB-ing]

3. verb

If you can distinguish something, you can see, hear, or taste it although it is very difficult to detect.

[formal]

There were cries, calls. He could distinguish voices. [VERB noun]

4. verb

If you distinguish yourself, you do something that makes you famous or important.

Over the next few years he distinguished himself as a leading constitutional scholar. [V pron-refl + as]

They distinguished themselves at the Battle of Assaye. [VERB pronoun-reflexive]

More Synonyms of distinguish

Video: pronunciation of
distinguish

distinguish in British English

(dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ )

verb (mainly tr)

1. (when intr, foll by between or among)

to make, show, or recognize a difference or differences (between or among); differentiate (between)

to be a distinctive feature of; characterize

to make out; perceive

to mark for a special honour or title

to make (oneself) noteworthy

he distinguished himself by his cowardice

to classify; categorize

we distinguished three species

Derived forms

distinguishable (disˈtinguishable)

adjective

distinguishably (disˈtinguishably)

adverb

distinguisher (disˈtinguisher)

noun

distinguishing (disˈtinguishing)

adjective

distinguishingly (disˈtinguishingly)

adverb

Word origin

C16: from Latin distinguere to separate, discriminate

Word Frequency

distinguish in American English

(dɪˈstɪŋgwɪʃ )

verb transitive

to separate or mark off by differences; perceive or show the difference in; differentiate

to be an essential characteristic of; characterize

to perceive clearly; recognize plainly by any of the senses

to separate and classify

to make famous or eminent; give distinction to

to distinguish oneself in battle

verb intransitive

to make a distinction (between or among)

SIMILAR WORDS: disˈcern

SYNONYMY NOTE: distinguish implies a recognizing or marking apart from others by special features or characteristic qualities [to distinguish good from evil]; discriminate, in this connection, suggests a distinguishing of minute or subtle differences between similar things [to discriminate scents]; differentiate suggests the noting or ascertaining of specific differences between things by comparing in detail their distinguishing qualities or features

Derived forms

distinguishable (disˈtinguishable)

adjective

distinguishably (disˈtinguishably)

adverb

Word origin

< L distinguere, to separate, discriminate < dis-, apart + -stinguere, to prick < IE base *steig-, to prick, pierce (> stick, Ger sticken, to embroider, Gr stigma) + , sense -ish (sense 2)

Examples of 'distinguish' in a sentence
distinguish

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…

There was a time when I couldn't distinguish one day from the next.What are the distinguishing features of language as symbol that biased language uses?You cannot distinguish one from the other.Three things distinguished great powers from their lesser neighbours.You can distinguish between these two tribes on the beach by the colour of their jackets.What does distinguish the difference between your churches?The first sought to distinguish between "deserving" and "undeserving" poor.The two kinds of slumps have another distinguishing feature.What distinguishes one period from another is the particular emphasis placed on one value relative to others.What distinguished the two was that no one knew how the natural process worked.