distinguish
verb
dis·tin·guish
di-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish 
distinguished; distinguishing; distinguishes
1
: to perceive a difference in : mentally separate
so alike they could not be distinguished
2
a
: to mark as separate or different
a policy that distinguishes him from other candidates
b
: to separate into kinds, classes, or categories
distinguish words by their part of speech
c
: to make noteworthy or remarkable : to give prominence or distinction (see distinction sense 4) to
distinguished themselves as pioneers of hip-hop
d
: characterize
recipes distinguished by simplicity
3
a
: discern
distinguished a light in the distance
could barely distinguish them in the fog
b
: to single out : take special notice of
: to perceive a difference
distinguish between right and wrong
Examples of distinguish in a Sentence
You're old enough to distinguish between fact and fantasy.
I have trouble distinguishing between the two of them.
I have trouble distinguishing the difference between the two of them.
You should be able to distinguish fact from fantasy.
The only thing that distinguishes the dogs is their bark.
The singer's voice is what distinguishes the band.
You can't distinguish the detail from this distance.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s letter noted that the one-year term of vehicle leases is often the result of state statutes or rules that distinguish a vehicle lease from a rental for sales tax purposes and set the minimum term for a lease at one year.
—
Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Loveland’s ability to separate from defenders is what distinguished him.
—Adam Jahns, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Adobe's licensing model offers a contrast to companies like OpenAI, which rely heavily on scraping vast amounts of Internet content without always distinguishing between licensed and unlicensed works.
—ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
Hernández’s mastery distinguishes him from Hollywood director Daniel Minahan, whose latest is On Swift Horses, another love story about romantic panic but without Hernández’s élan.
—Armond White, National Review, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
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Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Loveland’s ability to separate from defenders is what distinguished him.
—Adam Jahns, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Adobe's licensing model offers a contrast to companies like OpenAI, which rely heavily on scraping vast amounts of Internet content without always distinguishing between licensed and unlicensed works.
—ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
Hernández’s mastery distinguishes him from Hollywood director Daniel Minahan, whose latest is On Swift Horses, another love story about romantic panic but without Hernández’s élan.
—Armond White, National Review, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguish
Cite this Entry
“Distinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distinguish. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
distinguish
verb
dis·tin·guish
dis-ˈtiŋ-(g)wish
1
: to recognize one thing from others by some mark or quality
distinguish the bird calls
3
: to know or point out the difference
distinguish between right and wrong
4
: to set apart as different or special
distinguished themselves by heroic actions
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