distinguish
[dɪsˈtɪŋɡwɪʃ]
To distinguish something or someone means to tell them apart from others, making it clear what's special or different about them.
When we want to point out that one thing is not the same as another, we use "distinguish". For example, if you're trying to decide between two similar-looking shoes, you might say "Can you distinguish the red ones from the blue ones?" This means which color are they? Or, in a more serious context, a judge might need to distinguish between two laws that sound similar but have different meanings.
How common is "distinguish"?
Word distinguish is considered uncommon in modern English.
It appears most frequently in academic texts and less often in other writings.
It appears most frequently in academic texts and less often in other writings.
Definitions
verb
To recognize someone or something as different from others based on its characteristics.
differentiatediscriminateconfuse
Real examples of "distinguishes" in context
