DISTINCTION Definition & Meaning

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distinction

[dih-stingk-shuhn]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a marking off or distinguishing as different.
His distinction of sounds is excellent.
the recognizing or noting of differences; discrimination.
to make a distinction between right and wrong.
a discrimination made between things as different; special regard or favoritism.
Death comes to all without distinction.
condition of being different; difference.
There is a distinction between what he says and what he does.
Antonyms:
a distinguishing quality or characteristic.
It has the distinction of being the oldest house in the town.
a distinguishing or treating with special honor, attention, or favor.
an act of bestowing, or a mark of, honor or favor.
marked superiority; note; eminence.
Synonyms: ,
distinguished distinguished appearance.
Obsolete.��division; separation.

distinction

/ ��ɪˈ��ɪŋ��ʃə�� /

noun

the act or an instance of distinguishing or differentiating
a distinguishing feature
the state of being different or distinguishable
special honour, recognition, or fame
excellence of character; distinctive qualities
a man of distinction
distinguished appearance
a symbol of honour or rank

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

distinctionless adjective
subdistinction noun
underdistinction noun

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of distinction¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English distinccioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin �徱��پ��Գ��پ�ō��-, stem of �徱��پ��Գ��پ�ō “difference”; equivalent to distinct + -ion

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Synonym Study

Distinction and difference may both refer to perceivable dissimilarities and, in this meaning, may be used interchangeably: There is a distinction ( difference ) between the two. Distinction, however, usually suggests the perception of dissimilarity, as the result of analysis and discrimination: a carefully made distinction between two treatments of the same theme; whereas difference refers only to the condition of being dissimilar: the difference between Gothic and Roman architecture. “A distinction without a difference” is a way of referring to an artificial or false discrimination. See honor.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Instead, long segments of testimony, broken up by nearly constant objections, zeroed in on fine distinctions in the settlement agreement: What is the definition of an encampment?

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"Children in the top 200 schools achieve more distinctions in mathematics than children in the next 6,600 schools combined. The playing field must be levelled," its 2020 report said.

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They see the distinction between wild spaces and urban spaces collapsing, which is happening anyway, not always harmoniously.

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Another significant distinction from 1992, according to people who lived through it, was the bipartisan coordination among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

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Slater has maintained his standing in the organization because of his respected work ethic that earned him the distinction of being a team captain last season.

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Related 51�Թ�s

characteristic��
contrast��
difference��
differentiation��
discrepancy��
discrimination��
divergence��
division��
judgment��
nicety��
perception��
quality��
sensitivity��
separation��

distinct distinctive

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