Distinction

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /dɪˈstɪŋkʃən/

Definitions

1. A noticeable difference or contrast between things, or special recognition for excellence or achievement
2. A clear contrast or differentiation among items, or a mark of honor acknowledging someone’s exceptional qualities or accomplishments
3. The quality of being distinctly different from others, or the formal acknowledgment of outstanding performance or merit

Etymology: The noun "distinction" began life as a plain act of separating things. Its Latin ancestor, "distinctiōnem," was an action noun from "distinguō," meaning "separate" or "distinguish," so the earliest sense was closer to "the act of marking things apart" than to any idea of prestige. Medieval writers borrowed it through Old French, and English had it by the late 14th century. The shift from separation to merit happened gradually. Once something was set apart from its surroundings, it could be noticed, and a thing noticed for its difference came to be valued as special. The sense of "a mark of honour" grew naturally out of "being set apart," which is why an academic prize and a plain difference in appearance still share the same word.

Synonyms: difference, discrepancy, contrast, differentiation, separation

Antonyms: similarity, sameness, equivalence, uniformity, identity