distinguish

English

Etymology

From Middle English distingwen, from Old French distinguer, from Latin distinguere (“to separate, divide, distinguish, set off, adorn, literally mark off”), from di- for dis- (“apart”) + *stinguere; see sting, stigma, style. Compare extinguish.

Pronunciation

• enPR: dĭs-tĭng'gwĭsh, IPA: /dɪsˈtɪŋɡwɪʃ/, SAMPA: /dIs"tINgwIS/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  Rhymes: -ɪŋɡwɪʃ

Verb

distinguish (third-person singular simple present distinguishes, present participle distinguishing, simple past and past participle distinguished)

1. To see someone or something as different from others.
   • 1922, De Lacy O'Leary, Arabic Thought and Its Place in History:

     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.

2. To see someone or something clearly or distinctly.
3. To make one's self noticeably different or better from others through accomplishments.
   • 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.

Usage notes

In sense “see a difference”, more casual than differentiate or the formal discriminate; more casual is “tell the difference”.

Synonyms

(see a difference):

• differentiate
• discriminate

Derived terms

• distinguished
• distinguishable
• distinguishness

Related terms

• distinct
• distinction

Translations

to see someone or something as different from others

Bulgarian: различавам (bg) (različávam) Chinese: Mandarin: 區別 (zh), 区别 (zh) (qūbié), 辨別 (zh), 辨别 (zh) (biànbié) Czech: rozlišit (cs), rozeznat (cs) Dutch: onderscheiden (nl) French: distinguer (fr) Georgian: განსხვავება (ka) (gansxvaveba) German: unterscheiden (de)

Hebrew: הבחין (he) (hivkhín) Japanese: 区別する (ja) (くべつする, kubetsu-suru) Russian: различать (ru) (različát’) impf., различить (ru) (različít’) pf. Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: распознати (sh) Roman: raspoznati (sh) Spanish: distinguir (es) Turkish: ayırt etmek (tr), ayırmak (tr), seçmek (tr)

to see someone or something clearly or distinctly

Bulgarian: отличавам (bg) (otličávam) French: distinguer (fr) German: erkennen (de) Japanese: 感知する (ja) (かんちする, kanchi-suru) Russian: отличать (ru) (otličát’) impf., отличить (ru) (otličít’) pf., распознавать (ru) (raspoznavát’) impf., распознать (ru) (raspoznát’) pf.

Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: разазнати (sh) Roman: razaznati (sh)

to make one's self noticeably different

French: (se) distinguer (fr) German: sich auszeichnen (de) Japanese: 目立つ (ja) (めだつ, medatsu)

Russian: отличаться (ru) (otličát’sja) impf., отличиться (ru) (otličít’sja) pf. Scottish Gaelic: comharraich (gd)

External links

• distinguish in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• distinguish in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911