distinctive
English
Etymology
From Latin distinctus, perfect passive participle of distinguere (“to push apart, to divide”), + -ive (forming adjectives signifying relation or tendency to). Cognate with French distinctif and Medieval Latin distinctivus.
Pronunciation
Adjective
distinctive (comparative more distinctive, superlative most distinctive)
- Distinguishing, used to or enabling the distinguishing of some thing.
- 1583, Philip Stubbes, The Anatomie of Abuses, Fol. V:
- a product in distinctive packaging
- (rare) Discriminating, discerning, having the ability to distinguish between things.
- 1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, Vol. II, Ch. iii, p. 75:
- ...more judicious and distinctive heads...
- 1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, Vol. II, Ch. iii, p. 75:
- Characteristic, typical.
- 1856, John Ruskin, Modern Painters, Vol. III, p. 293:
- Wordsworth's distinctive work was a war with pomp and pretence, and a display of the majesty of simple feelings and humble hearts.
- his distinctive bass voice
- 1856, John Ruskin, Modern Painters, Vol. III, p. 293:
- (rare) Distinguished, being distinct in character or position.
- 1867, Samuel Smiles, The Huguenots, Ch. xvii, p. 432:
- The refugees... at length ceased to exist as a distinctive body among the people.
- 1867, Samuel Smiles, The Huguenots, Ch. xvii, p. 432:
- (Hebrew grammar, of accents) Used to separate clauses in place of stops.
- 1874, Andrew Bruce Davidson, Introductory Hebrew Grammar, p. 27:
- These are the main distinctive accents, and by stopping at them... the reader will do justice to the sense.
- 1874, Andrew Bruce Davidson, Introductory Hebrew Grammar, p. 27:
- (linguistics, of sounds) Distinguishing a particular sense of word.
- 1927, L. Bloomfield & al., Language, No. 3, p. 129:
- Normally we symbolize only phonemes (distinctive features) so far as we can determine them.
- 1927, L. Bloomfield & al., Language, No. 3, p. 129:
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
distinguishing
|
characteristic
|
Noun
distinctive (plural distinctives)
- A distinctive thing: a quality or property permitting distinguishing; a characteristic.
- 1816, Maurice Keatinge, Travels through France and Spain to Morocco, Vol. I, p. 189:
- ...the red umbrella, the distinctive of royalty here...
- 1816, Maurice Keatinge, Travels through France and Spain to Morocco, Vol. I, p. 189:
- (Hebrew grammar) A distinctive accent.
- (theology) A distinctive belief, tenet, or dogma of a denomination or sect.
- 1979, Theron F. Schlabach, "Gospel versus Gospel" in Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History, p. 154:
- Mennonites could go forth somewhat detached from the chauvinism of Western culture—but not so from the Mennonite distinctives.
- 1979, Theron F. Schlabach, "Gospel versus Gospel" in Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History, p. 154:
References
- “distinctive”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1896.
- “distinctive”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “distinctive”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /dis.tɛ̃k.tiv/
- Homophone: distinctives
Adjective
distinctive
Categories:
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- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
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- French 3-syllable words
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