Distinct

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /dɪˈstɪŋkt/

Definitions

1. Clearly different or separate from others, easily recognizable as not the same
2. Easily identifiable as different from others, marked by uniqueness and not resembling anything else
3. Recognized as being clearly separate or unique, distinguishing itself from everything surrounding it

Etymology: The adjective "distinct" carries a sense of separateness that its Latin ancestor made literal. Its root is the verb "distinguere," meaning "to separate" or "to mark apart," built from "dis-" (apart) and "stinguere," a verb meaning "to prick" or "to extinguish," so the original image is of things pricked or dotted apart from one another. The past participle "distinctus" gave Latin the sense of "set apart, separate, clearly marked off." English took the word through Middle English "distincte," the past participle of a verb "distincten" meaning "to distinguish, discern," which had come by way of Old French "destincter." The adjective therefore began as a form tied to the act of telling things apart, and only later settled into describing the things themselves, as in a distinct difference or a distinct voice.

Synonyms: unique, different, separate, individual, discrete

Antonyms: similar, common, indistinct, uniform, blended