distinct
pronunciation
How to pronounce distinct in British English:
UK [dɪˈstɪŋkt]
How to pronounce distinct in American English:
US [dɪˈstɪŋkt]
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- Adjective:
- easy to perceive; especially clearly outlined
- (often followed by `from') not alike; different in nature or quality
- constituting a separate entity or part
- recognizable; marked
- clearly or sharply defined to the mind
Word Origin
- distinct
- distinct: [14] Etymologically, distinct is the past participle of distinguish. It comes from distinctus, past participle of Latin distinguere ‘separate, discriminate’ (source, via the present stem of Old French distinguer, of English distinguish [16]). This was a compound verb formed from the prefix dis- ‘apart’ and the verbal element -stinguere ‘prick, stick’, and hence meant originally ‘separate by pricking’ (-stinguere, related to English stick and instigate, is not found as an independent verb in Latin in the sense ‘prick’, but stinguere does occur in the remote metaphorical meaning ‘quench’ – a development mirrored in German ersticken ‘stifle, suffocate’ – which lies behind English extinct and extinguish). Distingué is an early 19th-century adoption of the past participle of French distinguer.=> distinguish, extinct, instigate, stick
- distinct (adj.)
- late 14c., originally past participle of distincten (c. 1300) "to distinguish," from Old French distincter, from Latin distinctus, past participle of distinguere (see distinguish). Related: Distinctness.
Antonym
Example
- 1. It seems to have failed along three distinct edges .
- 2. Almost everyone who got smallpox developed a distinct rash .
- 3. It has distinct advantages even though costs are rising .
- 4. Over time , the duties of these professions have become distinct .
- 5. Much of the programming has a distinct social-media character .