də̇ˈstiŋgwish, -wēsh, chiefly in pres part -wəsh; ÷ -ŋw- verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: Middle French distinguer, from Latin distinguere, from dis- dis- (I) + -stinguere (akin to Latin in stigare to urge on, stimulate) — more at stick
transitive verb
1.
a. : to perceive as being separate or different : recognize a difference in
able to distinguish normally confused sounds
b. obsolete : to draw fine distinctions in respect to
2.
a. : to mark as separate or different (as one thing from another) : make a difference between : discriminate
the concept of culture … ties some phenomena and interpretations together; it dissimilates and distinguishes others — A.L.Kroeber
he was slightly built, shy, deferential almost, with nothing in his dress to distinguish him from his workmen — G.S.Gale
the church was distinguished by the absence of a tower
a man distinguished by a shock of wild white hair
also : to make clearly visible
street lamps and lighted windows distinguish the hills and valleys that are obscured in the day by tenements and apartment houses — American Guide Series: New York City
b. : to separate into kinds, classes, or categories (as by logical division)
unable to distinguish the notes into anything more than high or low
c. : to set above or apart from others : make eminent : give prestige to
he has distinguished himself by negotiating a number of international trade agreements — American Guide Series: Tennessee
the New Jersey Constitution is distinguished as one of the briefest in the country — American Guide Series: New Jersey
men who had distinguished themselves in action in several significant battles
d. obsolete : to separate or divide into portions or sections : mark (parts) as separate
e. : to make identifiable or discernible as a separate entity : mark off : characterize
once writers were a class apart, distinguished by ink-stained fingers, unkempt hair, and a predilection for drinking cheap wine in cellars — Edward Uhlan
nothing distinguishes the taste of an age more clearly than the language which it admires — R.W.Southern
3.
a. : to perceive, discern, or descry (something easily confused or blended with adjacent things)
I glanced seaward … and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock — Scott Fitzgerald
unable to distinguish road markings in the fog
b. : to pick out or single out
the examiner must be careful to distinguish the excitable individuals — H.G.Armstrong
4. archaic : to pay special attention to : note especially
5. obsolete : to argue subtly and speciously
intransitive verb
: to perceive a difference : exercise discrimination
a judge distinguishes between cases apparently similar
Synonyms:
distinguish , differentiate , discriminate , and demarcate can mean, in common, to point out or mark the differences between things that are or seem to be very much and often confusingly alike. distinguish implies a reason for confusion as between two things having an extremely close relationship or connection
nothing more profoundly distinguishes the Hellenic from the modern view of life than the estimate in which women were held by the Greeks — G.L.Dickinson
he must be taught to distinguish between the truth and his imagination — Mary Austin
a child under four will hardly distinguish between yesterday and a week ago — Bertrand Russell
Dr. Dunham distinguished between the terms public relations and publicity — T.F.Reidy
differentiate implies the possession of a distinguishing character or characters or the ascertainment of the differences between things easily confused
his immaculate appearance differentiates him from his fellow workers
classes small enough to enable the teacher to differentiate the strong and the willing from the sluggards — C.H.Grandgent
he differentiates industrial, political, and moral activities — D.S.Robinson
discriminate can imply the possession of obvious distinguishing characteristics
his gift of fine oratory discriminates him from other statesmen
but usually implies the power to discern differences, often slight, between similar things
irritated by the wasp's inability to discriminate a house from a tree — E.K.Brown
no dictionary discriminates perfectly among these finely shaded distinctions in trade vocabularies — Ben Riker
demarcate , implying the literal setting of boundaries, can be used to suggest a distinguishing between things as if by marking them off
how shall we demarcate reproduction from growth — G.H.Lewes
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- distinguish of