Standard Lemma guide

distinct

adj · verb · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /dɪˈstɪŋkt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪŋkt
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S T IH1 NG K T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Capable of being perceived very clearly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Her voice was distinct despite the heavy traffic.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Different from one another (with the preferable adposition being "from").

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Horses are distinct from zebras.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Noticeably different from others; distinctive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Olga's voice is quite distinct because of her accent.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Separate in place; not conjunct or united; with from.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Distinguished; having the difference marked; separated by a visible sign; marked out; specified.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Marked; variegated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To distinguish; to make a distinction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective

Meaning 8

easy to perceive; especially clearly outlined

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a distinct flavor
  • a distinct odor of turpentine
  • a distinct outline
  • the ship appeared as a distinct silhouette
  • distinct fingerprints

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: indistinct

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

clearly or sharply defined to the mind

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • clear-cut evidence of tampering
  • Claudius was the first to invade Britain with distinct...intentions of conquest
  • trenchant distinctions between right and wrong

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: clear-cut, trenchant

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

recognizable; marked

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • noticed a distinct improvement
  • at a distinct (or decided) disadvantage

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: decided

Antonyms: none provided

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

(often followed by `from') not alike; different in nature or quality

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • plants of several distinct types
  • the word `nationalism' is used in at least two distinct senses
  • gold is distinct from iron
  • a tree related to but quite distinct from the European beech
  • management had interests quite distinct from those of their employees

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: distinguishable

Antonyms: none provided

12

adjective satellite

Meaning 12

constituting a separate entity or part

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a government with three discrete divisions
  • on two distinct occasions

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: discrete

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English distincte, past participle of distincten (“to distinguish, discern”), from Old French destincter, from Latin distinctus, past participle of distinguere (“to distinguish”); see distinguish.

Across languages

Translations

99 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Basque: garbi — very clear
  • Bulgarian: ясен (jasen) — very clear
  • Bulgarian: отчетлив (otčetliv) — very clear
  • Catalan: distint — very clear
  • Chinese Mandarin: 明顯 /明显 (míngxiǎn) — very clear
  • Chinese Mandarin: 清晰 (qīngxī) — very clear
  • Czech: zřetelný — very clear
  • Old Czech: zřětedlný — very clear
  • Danish: tydelig — very clear
  • Danish: distinkt — very clear
  • Finnish: selkeä — very clear
  • Finnish: erottuva — very clear
  • Finnish: kuuluva — very clear
  • French: distinct — very clear
  • French: intelligible — very clear
  • Galician: distinto — very clear
  • German: deutlich — very clear
  • Ancient Greek: σαφής (saphḗs) — very clear
  • Ancient Greek: τρανής (tranḗs) — very clear
  • Italian: chiaro — very clear
  • Japanese: 明白な (meihaku na) — very clear
  • Latin: distīnctus — very clear
  • Latin: nobilis — very clear
  • Māori: mataaho — very clear
  • Norwegian Bokmål: distinkt — very clear
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: distinkt — very clear
  • Portuguese: distinto — very clear
  • Romanian: distinct — very clear
  • Russian: разбо́рчивый (razbórčivyj) — very clear
  • Russian: отчётливый (otčótlivyj) — very clear
  • Russian: я́сный (jásnyj) — very clear
  • Russian: чёткий (čótkij) — very clear
  • Spanish: distinto — very clear
  • Swedish: tydlig — very clear
  • Ukrainian: чітки́й (čitkýj) — very clear
  • Ukrainian: я́сний (jásnyj) — very clear
  • Ukrainian: вира́зний (vyráznyj) — very clear
  • Bashkir: башҡа (başqa) — different from one another
  • Bashkir: төрлө (törlö) — different from one another
  • Basque: desberdin — different from one another
  • Basque: bestelako — different from one another
  • Bulgarian: отделен (otdelen) — different from one another
  • Bulgarian: различен (različen) — different from one another
  • Catalan: distint — different from one another
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不同的 (bùtóng de) — different from one another
  • Chinese Mandarin: 分明 (fēnmíng) — different from one another
  • Danish: forskellig — different from one another
  • Danish: distinkt — different from one another
  • Estonian: erinev — different from one another
  • Finnish: erilainen — different from one another
  • French: distinct — different from one another
  • Hebrew: מֻבְחָן (muvẖán) — different from one another
  • Hebrew: נִבְדָּל (nivdál) — different from one another
  • Hindi: भिन्न (bhinn) — different from one another
  • Irish: ar leith — different from one another
  • Irish: leithleach — different from one another
  • Italian: distinto — different from one another
  • Italian: diverso — different from one another
  • Japanese: 異なる (kotonaru) — different from one another
  • K'iche': jalajoj — different from one another
  • Latin: distīnctus — different from one another
  • Mirandese: çtinto — different from one another
  • Norwegian Bokmål: distinkt — different from one another
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: distinkt — different from one another
  • Pashto: بېل (bel) — different from one another
  • Pashto: جلا (jëlâ) — different from one another
  • Portuguese: distinto — different from one another
  • Romanian: distinct — different from one another
  • Russian: отде́льный (otdélʹnyj) — different from one another
  • Russian: разли́чный (razlíčnyj) — different from one another
  • Russian: отли́чный (otlíčnyj) — different from one another
  • Spanish: distinto — different from one another
  • Ukrainian: окре́мий (okrémyj) — different from one another
  • Ukrainian: особли́вий (osoblývyj) — different from one another
  • Bashkir: башҡа (başqa) — noticeably different
  • Bengali: বিশেষ (biśeś) — noticeably different
  • Bulgarian: особен (osoben) — noticeably different
  • Catalan: distint — noticeably different
  • Chinese Mandarin: 截然不同的 (jiérán bùtóng de) — noticeably different
  • Chinese Mandarin: 獨特 /独特 (dútè) — noticeably different
  • Danish: tydelig adskilt — noticeably different
  • Danish: distinkt — noticeably different
  • Estonian: erisugune — noticeably different
  • Estonian: eristatav — noticeably different
  • Finnish: erottuva — noticeably different
  • French: reconnaissable — noticeably different
  • Hindi: विशेष (viśeṣ) — noticeably different
  • Hindi: विशिष्ट (viśiṣṭ) — noticeably different
  • Indonesian: khas — noticeably different
  • Japanese: 無二の (muni no) — noticeably different
  • Norwegian Bokmål: distinkt — noticeably different
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: distinkt — noticeably different
  • Portuguese: distinto — noticeably different
  • Romanian: distinct — noticeably different
  • Russian: осо́бый (osóbyj) — noticeably different
  • Russian: осо́бенный (osóbennyj) — noticeably different
  • Spanish: distinto — noticeably different
  • Swedish: distinkt — noticeably different
  • Ukrainian: особли́вий (osoblývyj) — noticeably different
Real reading context

distinct in complete knowledge articles