I. də̇ˈstiŋ(k)tiv, -tēv also -təv adjective
Etymology: Medieval Latin distinctivus, from Latin distinctus + -ivus -ive
1.
a. : serving to distinguish : setting apart from others : individualizing
a distinctive characteristic of the type is a tendency to procrastinate
b. : characteristic , peculiar
actions distinctive of a brutal man
a call that was almost distinctive to the catbird
the moist, salt air of the Cape is said to turn the shingles on roofs and walls to a distinctive gray — Jackson Rivers
: special
not only was homicide frequent but the tough hombres of the town added a distinctive touch in their manner of disposing of the body — American Guide Series: Texas
c. : having or giving style or distinction
a woman with a talent for wearing consistently distinctive clothes
an old distinctive residential quarter — American Guide Series: New York City
2. archaic : having the ability to distinguish : discriminating
3. phonetics , of a feature of speech : capable of making a segment of utterance different in meaning as well as in sound from an otherwise identical utterance : that makes or helps to make a speech item a phoneme rather than an allophone
4. : disjunctive 4
Synonyms: see characteristic
II. noun
( -s )
: disjunctive 2