distinction 
2. A note or mark of difference ; a distinguish- 
ing quality or character; a characteristic differ- 
ence : followed by between. 
I had from my youth studied the distinctions between 
religious and civil rights. Hilton, Second Defence. 
Ev'n Palinurus no distinction found 
Betwixt the night and day ; such darkness reign'd around. 
Dryden, Jineid, iii. 
If he does really think that there is no distinction 
between virtue and vice, why, sir, when he leaves our 
houses, let us count our spoons. 
; the state or fact of 
1694 
" English" as the distinctive name of those against whom 
they acted. So far as I have seen, the name that was 
then used in that sense was "British." 
E. A. Freeman, Amer. Lects., p. 56. 
2. Having the power to distinguish and dis- 
cern; discerning. [Rare.] 
Credulous and vulgar auditors readily believe it, and 
the more judicious and distinctive heads do not reject it. 
Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err. 
distinctively (dis-tingk'tiv-li), adv. In a dis- 
distSlciion in'Things" whereby "we may be able to discern 
one thing from another. 
Locke, Human Understanding, II. xxxn. 14. 
There are distinctions that will live in heaven, 
When time is a forgotten circumstance ! S. P. Willis. 
4f. Distinctness. 
There is no greater difference betwixt a cinill and bru- 
tish vtteraunce then cleare distinction of voices. 
Puttenham, Arte of Eng. Poesie, p. 61. 
5. The power of distinguishing differences; 
discrimination; discernment; judgment. 
She [Nature] left the eye distinction, to cull out 
The one from the other. 
Fletcher and Rowley, Maid in the Mill. 
Yet take heed, worthy Maximus ; all ears 
Hear not with that distinction mine do. 
Fletcher, Valentinian, i. 3. 
:t separated distinctively 
others; this work is distinctively literary. =Syn. 
Distinctively, Distinctly. The former emphasizes merely 
the fact of separation or distinction from other things 
by some peculiarity or specific difference ; the latter em- 
phasizes more especially the definiteness and clearness 
with which this separation or distinction exists or is per- 
ceived. Thus, distinctimlti literary work is peculiarly, or 
clearly and obviously, literary, as distinguished from other 
kinds of writing. 
And if Greece was distinctively the cultured nation of 
antiquity, Germany may claim that distinction in modern 
Europe. U. If. Oxenham, Short Studies, p. 253. 
To what end also doth he distinctly assign a peculiar dis- 
pensation of operations to the father, of ministeries to the 
son, of gifts to the Holy Ghost? Barrow, Works, II. xxiv. 
distinctiveness (dis-tingk'tiv-nes), . The 
state or quality of being distinctive ; distinctive 
character ; individuality. 
6. The state of being distinguished ; eminence ; 
superiority; elevation of character or of rank "gawaythedwrincMwneM and there- 
in society ; the manifestation of superiority in J"^ "^"^^ character to be enjoyed in its appeal to a 
conduct, appearance, or otherwise. 
particular humour in us. 
Jtugkiti. 
Houses of Persons of Distinction are built with rlistinctlv (dis-tingkt'li), adv. 1. In a distinct 
heres : that is, wide ^j*g$? a manner ; with distinctness ; not confusedly, un- 
All the 1 
Porte-coche 
When there is fnllv record the truth that mo, 
He was a charming fellow, clever, urbane, free-handed. 
and with that fortunate quality in his appearance which 
is known as distinction. H. James, Jr., Confidence, ii. 
7. That which confers or marks eminence or 
superiority ; office, rank, or favor. 
To be a really great historian is perhaps the rarest of 
intellectual distinctions. Macaiday, History. 
8. The act of distinguishing or treating with 
honor. 
The distinctions lately paid us by our betters awaked 
that pride which I had laid asleep but not removed. 
Goldsmith, Vicar, x. 
Socinios received him with great marks of distinction 
and kindness. He decorated him with a chain and brace- 
lets of gold, and gave him a dagger of exquisite workman- 
ship, mounted with the same metal. 
Bruce, Source of the Nile, II. 300. 
Accidental distinction, discretiye distinction, etc. 
See the adjectives. Without distinction, indiscrimi- 
nately. 
Maids, women, wives, without distinction, fall. Dryden. 
=Syn. Distinctness, Distinction. Distinctness has kept 
the narrower literal sense of the state or quality of being 
distinct; distinction has been extended to more active 
meanings, as the mark of difference, the quality distin- 
guishing, superiority by difference, outward rank, honors 
rendered to one as superior, etc. 
And so, in grateful interchange 
Of teacher and of hearer, 
Their lives their true distinctness keep 
While daily drawing nearer. 
WhiUier, Among the Hills. 
Pomponins preferred the honour of becoming an Athe- 
Pronounce thy speeche distinctly, see thou mark well 
thy worde. Eabees Boole (E. E. T. 8.), p. 75. 
"When all were plac'd in seats distinctly known, 
And he their father had assum'd the throne, 
Upon his ivory scepter first he leant. 
Dryden, tr. of Ovid's Metamorph., i. 229. 
Hence 2. Without doubt; obviously; evi- 
dently ; incontrovertibly. 
To despair of what a conscientious collection and study 
of facts may lead to, and to declare any problem insoluble, 
because difficult and far off, is distinctly to be on the 
wrong side in science. E. B. Tylor, Prim. Culture, I. 22. 
Your conduct lias been distinctly and altogether unpar- 
donable. L. H'. M. Lockhart, Mine is Thine, xxxix. 
He has . . . distinctly weakened his position by claim- 
ing as Cyprian the Catalogue of Ships. 
Amer. Jour. Philol., VIII. 479. 
3f. Separately ; in different places. 
Sometime I'd divide 
And burn in many places ; on the topmast, 
The yards and bowsprit, would I fiame distinctly, 
Then meet and join. Shnk., Tempest, i. 2. 
= Syn. 1. Distinctly, Clearly, explicitly, definitely, pre- 
cisely, unmistakably. The first two are sometimes distin- 
guished thus : I see it dearly that is, fully outlined from 
all other objects ; I see it distinctly that is, with its fea- 
tures separate to the eye. This, however, is a rather un- 
common refinement of meaning. See distinctively. 
distinctness (dis-tingkt'nes), n. The quality 
or state of being distinct, in any sense of that 
word. 
Whenever we try to recall a scene we saw but for a mo- 
ment, there are always a few traits that recur, the rest 
nian, by intellectual naturalisation, to all the distinctions being blurred and vague, instead of the whole being re- 
which were to be acquired in the political contests of v i ve ,i j n equa i distinctness or indistinctness. 
Rome. Macaulay, History. j. Ward, Encyc. Brit., XX. 61. 
To William Peun belongs the distinction, destined to Extensive distinctness. See extensive. = Syn. Distinct- 
brighten as men advance in virtue, of first in human his- ness Distinction (see distinction), plainness, perspicuity, 
tory establishing the Law of Love, as a rule of conduct, in explicitness lucidity 
the intercourse of nations. Sumne.,; Orations, I. 114. flistmctort (dis-tingk'tor), . [< LL. distinc- 
3. Diversity, etc. See di/erence.-l. Rank, note, repute, tor < L distinguere, distinguish: see distinct. 
fame, renown, celebrity. ,. '.. . , -, x ' -, j. 5? . * 
distinctional (dis-tingk'shon-al), fl. [< dis- distingmsn.-] One who distinguishes or makes 
filiation + -al] Serving for' distinction, as of distinctions. 
But certes, in my fantasie such curious distinctors may 
be verie aptlie resembled to the foolish butcher, that of- 
fered to haue sold his mutton for fifteen grots, and yet 
species or groups: as, distinctional characters; 
distinctional colors. [Rare.] 
distinctive (dis-tingk'tiv), a. [= F. distine- would not take a crowne. 
tif= Sp. distintivo = Pg. distinctive = It. dis- 
Stanihurst, in Holinshed's Chron. (Ireland), i. 
tin tiro, < L. as if "distinctii'us, < distinctm, pp. distincture (dis-tingk'tur), n. [< distinct + 
of distinguere, distinguish: see distinct.'] 1. -we.'] Distinctness. Edinburgh Rev. [Rare.] 
Marking distinction, difference, or peculiarity ; distinguet, v. t. [ME. distingwcn, destingen, < 
distinguishing from something diverse; char- OF. distinguer, destinguer, F. distinguer = Pr. 
acteristic: as, distinctive names or titles; the distinguir, destinguir = Sp. Pg. dint ingulf = It. 
distinctive characteristics of a species. distinguere = D. distingeren = Dan. distingvere 
All the distinctive doctrines of the Puritan theology = Sw. distingvcra, < L. distinguere : see distin- 
were fully and even coarsely set forth. finish.] To distinguish. Chaucer. 
. "'""'!;. H ' st ; E "S" vii. distinguish (dis-ting'gwish), v. [With added 
Nearly all cities have their own dittinetivt colour. ,.,,ffi v nfrprnthprvpi-hsiTi LA-fTfK ,Jittiumrfu 
That of Venice is a pearly white, . . . and that of Flor- ' n . X ' alter Otnerve.lDfe in -6/i,^M*,.(.(7! ; 
ence is a sober brown. destingen (see distingue), < OF. distinguer, < 
J. A. Symonds, Italy and Greece, p. 172, note. L. distinguere, separate, divide, distinguish, set 
distinguishable 
off, adorn, lit. mark off, < di- for dis-, apart, + 
*stinguere = Gr. ari&iv, prick, = E. sting : see 
sting, stigma, style*-. Cf. extinguish.'] I. trans. 
1. To mark or note in a way to indicate dif- 
ference ; mark as distinct or different ; charac- 
terize ; indicate the difference of. 
It was a purple band, or of blew colour, distinguished 
with white which was wreathed about the Tiara. 
Purchas, Pilgrimage, p. 362. 
Our House is distinguish 'd by a languishing Eye, as the 
House of Austria is by a thick Lip. 
Congreve, Double-Dealer, iv. 3. 
2. To recognize as different or distinct from 
what is contiguous or similar ; perceive or dis- 
cover the differences or characteristic marks 
or qualities of; recognize by some distinctive 
mark ; know or ascertain difference in through 
the senses or the understanding; perceive or 
make out. 
Let her take any shape, 
And let me see it once, I can distinguish it. 
Fletcher, Pilgrim, iii. 3. 
Sometimes you fancy you just distinguish him [the lark], 
a mere vague spot against the blue, an intenser throb in 
the universal pulsation of light. 
//. James, Jr., Trans. Sketches, p. 150. 
Hence 3. To establish, state, or explain a 
difference or the differences between two or 
more things ; separate by classification or defi- 
nition ; discriminate ; set off or apart. 
The seasons of the year at Tonquin, and all the Coun- 
tries between the Tropicks, are distinguished into Wet and 
Dry, as properly as others are into Winter and Summer. 
Dampier, Voyages, II. t 32. 
The mind finds no great difficulty to distinguish the 
several originals of things into two sorts. 
Locke, Human Understanding, II. xxvi. 2. 
Death must be distinguished from dying, with which it 
is often confounded. Sydney Smith, in Lady Holland, vi. 
In ancient Rome the semi-slave class distinguished as 
clients originated by this voluntary acceptance of servi- 
tude with safety. H. Spencer, Prin. of Sociol., 459. 
4. To discern critically ; judge. 
Iso more can you distinguish of a man 
Than of his outward show. 
Shak., Rich. III., iii. 1. 
As men are most capable of distinguishing merit in 
women, so the ladies often form the truest judgments of 
us . Goldsmith, Vicar, viii. 
5. To separate from others by some mark of 
honor or preference ; treat with distinction or 
honor; make eminent or superior; give distinc- 
tion to. 
Next to Deeds which our own Honour raise, 
Is, to distinguish them who merit Praise. 
Congreve, To Sir Godfrey Kneller. 
To distinguish themselves by means never tried before. 
Johnson, Rambler, No. 164. 
The beauty, indeed, which distinguished the favourite 
ladies of Charles was not necessary to James. 
Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vi. 
II. intrans. 1. To make a distinction; find 
or show a difference : followed by between. 
The reader must learn by all means to distinguish be- 
tween proverbs and those polite speeches which beautify 
conversation. Swift. 
In contemporaries, it is not so easy to distinguish, be- 
IvAxt notoriety and fame. Emerson, Books. 
We are apt to speak of soul and body, as if we could 
distinguish between them, and knew much about them ; 
but for the most part we use words without meaning. 
J. H. Xewman, Parochial Sermons, i. 273. 
2f. To become distinct or distinguishable ; be- 
come differentiated. 
The little embryo, |n the natural sheet and lap of its 
mother, first distinguishes into a little knot, and that in 
time will be the heart, and then into a bigger bundle, 
which, after some days' abode, grows into two little spots, 
and they, if cherished by nature, will become eyes. 
Jer. Taylor, Great Exemplar. 
distinguishable (dis-ting'gwish-a-bl), a. [< 
distinguish + -able.] 1. Capable of being dis- 
tinguished, separated, or discriminated from 
something else. 
Wlien Bruce and Baliol, with ten other competitors, 
conduct a litigation before Edward I. of England respect- 
ing the right to the Scottish Crown, the arguments are not 
distinguishable in principle from argumentson the inherit- 
ance of an ordinary fief. 
Maine, Early Law and Custom, p. 125. 
2. Capable of being perceived, recognized, or 
made out; perceptible; discernible: as, a 
scarcely distinguishable speck in the sky. 
Where holy ground begins, unhallowed ends, 
Is marked by no distinguishable line ; 
The turf unites, the pathways intertwine. 
\Vordsu'<>rtli, Sonnets, iii. 7. 
3. Capable of being distinguished or classified 
according to distinctive marks, characteristics, 
or qualities; divisible: as, sounds are di.-itin- 
ffuishable into high and low. 4. Worthy of 
note or special regard. 
