distinguish
verb
dis·tin·guish
| \ di-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish
\
\
distinguished;
distinguishing;
distinguishes
Definition of distinguish
1
: to perceive a difference in : mentally separate
so alike they could not be distinguished
2a
: to mark as separate or different
a policy that distinguishes him from other candidates
b
: to separate into kinds, classes, or categories
distinguish words by their part of speech
c
: to make noteworthy or remarkable : to give prominence or distinction (see distinction sense 4) to
distinguished themselves as pioneers of hip-hop
d
: characterize
recipes distinguished by simplicity
3a
: discern
distinguished a light in the distance could barely distinguish them in the fog
b
: to single out : take special notice of
: to perceive a difference
distinguish between right and wrong
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Other Words from distinguish
distinguishability
\ di-ˌstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-ˈbi-lə-tē
\
noun
\
noun
distinguishable
\ di-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-bəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
distinguishably
\ di-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-blē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for distinguish
Synonyms
difference, differentiate, discern, discriminate, secern, separate
Antonyms
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Examples of distinguish in a Sentence
You're old enough to distinguish between fact and fantasy.
I have trouble distinguishing between the two of them.
I have trouble distinguishing the difference between the two of them.
You should be able to distinguish fact from fantasy.
The only thing that distinguishes the dogs is their bark.
The singer's voice is what distinguishes the band.
You can't distinguish the detail from this distance.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Director Denise Blasor handles this challenge ingeniously in a production that, fittingly for a work on the necessity of female community as a corrective to patriarchal culture, is distinguished by its teamwork. — Los Angeles Times, "Theater in L.A. this week: John Leguizamo’s ‘Latin History for Morons’ and more," 1 Sep. 2019 This exhibit provides a comprehensive look into Tiffany’s rare art pottery, distinguished by its complex glazing and unconventional forms. — Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, "Orlando Arts Season Preview 2019-20: Best Bets," 23 Aug. 2019 Photons can be distinguished by their color (wavelength), how pure that color is (or more technically, coherence), the orientation of their oscillating electric field (known as polarization), their spatial shape, and their arrival time. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Identical photons generated 150 million kilometers apart," 22 Aug. 2019 Standing shy of her reported 6 feet, Waller-Bridge sports a tousled bob of brown curls and is easily distinguished by the birthmark engaged in an ongoing flirtation with her hairline. — Michael O'connell, The Hollywood Reporter, "From 'Fleabag' to James Bond and Beyond: Phoebe Waller-Bridge on Death and Her Secret New Movie," 14 Aug. 2019 Her quarter of a century at the state and three years at Pierce County have been distinguished by a sharp tongue and contention. — Josephine Peterson, The Seattle Times, "Pierce County Council’s Pam Roach won’t seek reelection," 12 Aug. 2019 In addition to putting genes for the CARs into the killer T cells—which are distinguished by the surface protein CD8—the researchers also modified CD4 T cells. — Jon Cohen, Science | AAAS, "Can an immune strategy used to treat cancer also wipe out HIV infections?," 7 Aug. 2019 The place, distinguished by three gables, is partially hidden by hedges and trees. — oregonlive.com, "The childhood home is where the heart is," 4 Aug. 2019 The watchtowers are metallic scaffoldlike ladders distinguished by the objects attached to them. — John Zotos, Dallas News, "Dallas exhibition of art star Francesco Clemente was years in the making — and worth the wait," 1 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'distinguish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for distinguish
distinguish
verb
English Language Learners Definition of distinguish
: to notice or recognize a difference between people or things
: to make (someone or something) different or special in some way
: to see or hear (someone or something) clearly
See the full definition for distinguish in the English Language Learners Dictionary
distinguish
verb
dis·tin·guish
| \ di-ˈstiŋ-gwish
\
\
distinguished;
distinguishing
Kids Definition of distinguish
1
: to recognize one thing from others by some mark or quality
He distinguished the sound of the piano in the orchestra.
2
: to hear or see clearly
You can't distinguish her face in this photo.
3
: to know the difference
Can you distinguish between right and wrong?
4
: to set apart as different or special
She distinguished herself by heroic actions.