Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

distinguishing

American  
[dih-sting-gwi-shing] / dɪˈstɪŋ gwɪ ʃɪŋ /

adjective

  1. distinctive; characteristic, as a definitive feature of an individual or group.

    Intricate rhyming is a distinguishing feature of her poetry.

Other Word Forms

  • distinguishingly adverb
  • nondistinguishing adjective
  • self-distinguishing adjective
  • undistinguishing adjective
  • undistinguishingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of distinguishing

First recorded in 1660–70; distinguish + -ing 2

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.