Meanings
present singular third person distinguishes · participle present distinguishing · participle past distinguished · past distinguished
- To recognize someone or something as different from others based on its characteristics.
The physics of elementary particles in the 20th century was distinguished by the observation of particles whose existence had been predicted by theorists sometimes decades earlier.
2012 March-April, Jeremy Bernstein, “A Palette of Particles”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 1461 more example
It had begun to take a leading place even in the days of the Ptolemies, and in scientific, as distinguished from purely literary work, it had assumed a position of primary importance early in the Christian era.
1922, De Lacy O'Leary, Arabic Thought and Its Place in HistorySynonyms: differentiate, discriminate, decern, discern, differentiate, differentialize, discriminate, set apart · Antonyms: confuse
- To see someone or something clearly or distinctly.
- reflexivetransitiveTo make noticeably different or better from others through accomplishments.
The soldier distinguished himself in combat and received a medal.
1 more example
1784: William Jones, The Description and Use of a New Portable Orrery, &c., PREFACE THE favourable reception the Orrery has met with from Perſons of the firſt diſtinction, and from Gentlemen and Ladies in general, has induced me to add to it ſeveral new improvements in order to give it a degree of Perfection; and diſtinguiſh it from others; which by Piracy, or Imitation, may be introduced to the Public.
- obsoletetransitiveTo make to differ.
For who diſtinguiſheth thee?
1749, The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. […] Newly reviſed, and corrected according to the Clementin Edition of the Scriptures (Douay–Rheims Bible, Challoner Revision), 1 Corinthians 4:7, page 317
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo recognize someone or something as different from others based on its characteristics.
More synonyms by meaning
verbmark as different
verbdetect with the senses
verbbe a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense
verbidentify as in botany or biology, for example
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latindistinguere“to separate, divide, distinguish, set off, adorn, literally mark off”
- Old Frenchdistinguer
- Middle Englishdistingwen
- Englishdistinguish
From Middle English distingwen, from Old French distinguer, from Latin distinguere (“to separate, divide, distinguish, set off, adorn, literally mark off”), from di-, dis- (“apart”) + stinguere, related to English stink. Compare extinguish.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek διακρίνω
- διακρίνω (diakrínō)to see someone or something as different from others
Bulgarian различа́вам, отлича́вам
- различа́вам (različávam)to see someone or something as different from others
- отлича́вам (otličávam)to see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
Catalan distingir, distingir
- distingirto see someone or something as different from others
- distingirto see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
Chinese Mandarin 區別 /区别, 辨別 /辨别
- 區別 /区别 (qūbié)to see someone or something as different from others
- 辨別 /辨别 (biànbié)to see someone or something as different from others
Czech rozlišit, rozeznat
- rozlišitto see someone or something as different from others
- rozeznatto see someone or something as different from others
Dutch onderscheiden
- onderscheidento see someone or something as different from others
Esperanto distingi
- distingito see someone or something as different from others
Finnish erottaa, tunnistaa
- erottaato see someone or something as different from others
- tunnistaato see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- erottuato make oneself noticeably different
- erottua joukostato make oneself noticeably different
French distinguer, distinguer
- distinguerto see someone or something as different from others
- distinguerto see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- distinguerto make oneself noticeably different
German unterscheiden, erkennen
- unterscheidento see someone or something as different from others
- erkennento see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- sich auszeichnento make oneself noticeably different
Greek ξεχωρίζω, διακρίνω
- ξεχωρίζω (xechorízo)to see someone or something as different from others
- διακρίνω (diakríno)to see someone or something as different from others
- διακρίνω (diakríno)to see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- διακρίνομαι (diakrínomai)to make oneself noticeably different
Hebrew הבחין, הִבְדִּיל
- הבחין (hivkhín)to see someone or something as different from others
- הִבְדִּיל (hivdíl)to see someone or something as different from others
Hungarian megkülönböztet
- megkülönböztetto see someone or something as different from others
Icelandic greina
- greinato see someone or something as different from others
Italian distinguere, discernere
- distinguereto see someone or something as different from others
- discernereto see someone or something as different from others
- distinguersito make oneself noticeably different
Japanese 区別する, 感知する
- 区別する (kubetsu-suru)to see someone or something as different from others
- 感知する (kanchi-suru)to see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- 目立つ (medatsu)to make oneself noticeably different
Korean 구별하다
- 구별하다 (gubyeolhada)to see someone or something as different from others
Latin internoscō, distinguō
- internoscōto see someone or something as different from others
- distinguōto see someone or something as different from others
- dignoscōto see someone or something as different from others
Persian تمایز داشتن
- تمایز داشتن (tamāyoz dāštan)to see someone or something as different from others
Polish rozróżniać, rozróżnić
- rozróżniaćto see someone or something as different from others
- rozróżnićto see someone or something as different from others
Portuguese distinguir
- distinguirto see someone or something as different from others
Romanian distinge, distinge
- distingeto see someone or something as different from others
- distingeto see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- recunoașteto see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
Russian различа́ть, различи́ть
- различа́ть (različátʹ)to see someone or something as different from others
- различи́ть (različítʹ)to see someone or something as different from others
- отлича́ть (otličátʹ)to see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- отличи́ть (otličítʹ)to see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- распознава́ть (raspoznavátʹ)to see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- распозна́ть (raspoznátʹ)to see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- отлича́ться (otličátʹsja)to make oneself noticeably different
- отличи́ться (otličítʹsja)to make oneself noticeably different
Scottish Gaelic eadar-dhealaich, comharraich
- eadar-dhealaichto see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- comharraichto make oneself noticeably different
Spanish distinguir
- distinguirto see someone or something as different from others
Swedish urskilja, utmärka
- urskiljato see someone or something as different from others
- utmärkato make oneself noticeably different
- utmärkato give an honor
Turkish ayırt etmek, ayırmak
- ayırt etmekto see someone or something as different from others
- ayırmakto see someone or something as different from others
- seçmekto see someone or something as different from others
- temyiz etmekto see someone or something as different from others
Ukrainian розрізня́ти, розрізни́ти
- розрізня́ти (rozriznjáty)to see someone or something as different from others
- розрізни́ти (rozriznýty)to see someone or something as different from others
- відрізня́ти (vidriznjáty)to see someone or something as different from others
- відрізни́ти (vidriznýty)to see someone or something as different from others
- відрізня́ти (vidriznjáty)to see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- відрізни́ти (vidriznýty)to see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- розпізнава́ти (rozpiznaváty)to see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- розпізна́ти (rozpiznáty)to see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
- відзнача́тися (vidznačátysja)to make oneself noticeably different
- відзна́чи́тися (vidznáčýtysja)to make oneself noticeably different
- відзнача́ти (vidznačáty)to give an honor
- відзна́чи́ти (vidznáčýty)to give an honor
Vietnamese phân biệt, nhận ra
- phân biệtto see someone or something as different from others
- nhận rato see someone or something clearly or distinctly — see also discern, make out
Cite this entry
distinguish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distinguish
“distinguish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distinguish. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “distinguish,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distinguish.
Source: distinguish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.