Dictionary

distinction en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /dɪˈstɪŋkʃən/

Etymology

From Middle English distinccioun, from Old French distinction (attested from the 12th century), borrowed from Latin distinctiōnem, action noun of distinguō (“separate, distinguish”). By surface analysis, distinct (“to distinguish”) + -ion. Attested in English from the late 14th century.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) That which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination.
   • The proper course for me, gentlemen of the jury, is to deal first with the earliest charges that have been falsely brought against me, and with my earliest accursers; and then with the later ones. I make this distinction because […] 1954, Plato, translated by Hugh Tredennick, “Socrates on Trial: The Apology”, in The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin Classics), Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books, →OCLC, page 20:
2. (countable, uncountable) The act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination.
   • But, for practical purposes, it is possible to draw a distinction between a statement of facts observed and an expression of opinion as to the inference to be drawn from these facts, and the rule telling witnesses to state facts and not express opinions is of great value in keeping their statements out of the region of argument and conjecture. 1911, “Evidence”, in Encyclopædia Britannica:
   • We must always make a distinction that right versus wrong is different from legal and illegal.
   • In spite of these qualifications, the broad distinction between instinct and habit is undeniable. To take extreme cases, every animal at birth can take food by instinct, before it has had opportunity to learn; on the other hand, no one can ride a bicycle by instinct, though, after learning, the necessary movements become just as automatic as if they were instinctive. 1921, Bertrand Russell, “Lecture II”, in The Analysis of Mind:
   • Gedeon Van Rompay had the dubious distinction of being the only Site employee personally hired by Edwin Falkirk, former All Sections Chief and perennial piece of human trash. Lillian had found it easy not to hold this against the man, but only because there were so many other odious things about him to choose from. He was misogynist, he was chauvinistic, he was boorish, he was violent. Just about the only metric on which she rated Van Rompay higher than Falkirk was transphobia; the big man made no distinction between varieties of womanhood, feeling superior to all of them equally. 2023 September 16, HarryBlank, “Borrowing Trouble”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 15 Jun 2024:
   • This reflects a longtime distinction between "good Jews" and "international Jews," drawn in a 1920 article by Winston Churchill, which put in the "good category" "national Jews" assimilated into British culture and Zionist Jews in Palestine, and into the malevolent one those who fueled "this world-wide conspiracy for the overthrow of civilization." 2020, Joel Swanson, “Are anti-Semitism fears stopping Jewish Dems from supporting Bernie Sanders?”, in The Forward:
   • There is a distinction to be made between resting and slacking.
3. (countable, uncountable) A feature that causes someone or something to stand out from others of its type.
   • Gedeon Van Rompay had the dubious distinction of being the only Site employee personally hired by Edwin Falkirk, former All Sections Chief and perennial piece of human trash. Lillian had found it easy not to hold this against the man, but only because there were so many other odious things about him to choose from. He was misogynist, he was chauvinistic, he was boorish, he was violent. Just about the only metric on which she rated Van Rompay higher than Falkirk was transphobia; the big man made no distinction between varieties of womanhood, feeling superior to all of them equally. 2023 September 16, HarryBlank, “Borrowing Trouble”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 15 Jun 2024:
4. (countable, specifically, uncountable) A feature that causes someone or something to stand out from others of its type. ▸ A feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; the quality of being distinguished.
   • Mother[…]considered that the exclusiveness of Peter's circle was due not to its distinction, but to the fact that it was an inner Babylon of prodigality and whoredom, from which every Kensingtonian held aloof, except on the conventional tip-and-run excursions in pursuit of shopping, tea and theatres. 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 2, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
   • Leighton Baines, playing with distinction again, sent over a left-wing cross with pace and accuracy. Welbeck, prominently involved all night, could not reach it but Rooney was directly behind him, flashing his header past Szczesny. 2013 October 15, Daniel Taylor, The Guardian:
   • She had the distinction of meeting the Queen.

Forms

Antonyms

confusion (antonym(s) of “that which distinguishes”)

Deriveds

error/mistake distinction · distinction without a difference · contradistinction · T-V distinction · fact-value distinction · indistinction · counterdistinction · type-token distinction · distinctionless · distinctional · microdistinction · use-mention distinction

Relateds

distinct · words-as-words distinction · distinguished · distinctive · distinguishness · distinguish · distinguishable

Synonyms

cachet · cachet

Translations (71)

bg разлика (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · pl wyróżnienie (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · ca distinció (the act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination) · de Unterschied (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · hu megkülönböztetés (the act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination) · es prestancia (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · txb wakītsñe (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · bg разграниче́ние (the act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination) · pt distinção (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · ru отли́чие (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · hu különbségtétel (the act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination) · ro distingibilitate (the act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination) · nl distinctie (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · no distinksjon (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · nl onderscheiding (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · ota شان (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · hu különbözőség (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · sk rozlíšenie (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · hu különbség (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · ru разграниче́ние (the act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination) · ru разли́чие (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · tr ayrım (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · fr différence (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · gd eadar-dhealachadh (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · ru отли́чие (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · cmn 分別 /分别 (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · cs rozdíl (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · ja 区別 (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · no forskjell (the act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination) · de Distinktion (the act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination) · ro diferență (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · hu distinkció (the act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination) · pt distinção (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · tr farklılık (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · grc διορισμός (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · ro deosebire (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · sv distinktion (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · es distinción (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · ca distinció (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · tr fark (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · hu kiválóság (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · hu kitüntetés (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · la distinctiō (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · sa विशेष (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · bg отли́чие (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · ar تَمْيِيْز (the act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination) · sv åtskillnad (the act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination) · ka განსხვავება (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · de Auszeichnung (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · cs vyznamenání (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · bg разли́чие (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · fi kunnia (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · ro distincție (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · ru ра́зница (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · ka სხვაობა (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · hu kitűnőség (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · hu megkülönböztető/egyéni jegy/jelleg/vonás (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · ro distingere (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · es distinción (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · fi ero (the act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination) · fr distinction (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · pl odznaczenie (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · hu elkülönülés (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · el διάκριση (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · el διάκριση (specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished) · pl różnica (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · eo distingo (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · gd eadar-dhealachadh (the act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination) · ja 違い (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · fi ero (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination) · sv skillnad (that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination)