distinct

[ dih-stingkt ]

adjective

1. distinguished as not being the same; not identical; separate (sometimes followed by from ):

   His private and public lives are distinct.

   Synonyms: individual, discrete

2. different in nature or quality; dissimilar (sometimes followed by from ):

   Gold is distinct from iron.

3. clear to the senses or intellect; plain; unmistakable:

   The ship appeared as a distinct silhouette.

   Synonyms: well-defined, sharp, unlike, distinguishable, disparate, different

   Antonyms: indistinct

4. distinguishing or perceiving clearly:

   distinct vision.

5. unquestionably exceptional or notable:

   a distinct honor.

6. Archaic. distinctively decorated or adorned.

distinct

/ dɪˈstɪŋkt /

adjective

1. easily sensed or understood; clear; precise
2. when postpositive, foll by from not the same (as); separate (from); distinguished (from)
3. not alike; different
4. sharp; clear
5. recognizable; definite

   a distinct improvement

6. explicit; unequivocal
7. maths logic (of a pair of entities) not identical
8. botany (of parts of a plant) not joined together; separate

Derived Forms

• disˈtinctness, noun
• disˈtinctly, adverb

Other Words From

• dis·tinctness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of distinct¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin distinctus, “divided off,” past participle of disting(u)ere “to divide off, pick out, distinguish,” from di- di- ² + sting(u)ere (unrecorded), presumably, “to prick, mark by pricking”; instinct ¹, instigate

Word History and Origins

Origin of distinct¹

C14: from Latin distinctus, from distinguere to distinguish

Example Sentences

Looking back at “U2:UV,” the Edge, 63, says a Sphere production is “its own distinct kind of art form — a new art form, I think, not just for music but for narrative film, for documentary, for all kinds of presentations. It’s the ability to translocate the audience to a new place, be it real or imaginary.”

From Los Angeles Times

This collaborative approach allows us to maintain distinct culinary identities while enhancing the overall experience.

From Salon

The weather service staff were able to see the haboob with their own eyes, a “distinct wall of dust” that “looked just like a classic Arizona dust storm,” according to Wilson.

From Los Angeles Times

The review says "there was a distinct lack of curiosity shown by these senior figures and a tendency towards minimisation of the matter".

From BBC

Mr Bijoor suggests a better strategy would have been to operate Air India separately for five years, focusing on improving service standards, while maintaining Vistara as a distinct brand with Air India prefixed to it.

From BBC

Related Words

• discrete
• disparate
• dissimilar
• distinctive
• divergent
• diverse
• offbeat
• particular
• peculiar
• separate
• special
• specific
• unique
• various