1
as in excellence
exceptionally high quality
a shop selling native handicrafts of distinction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in advantage
a quality that gives something special worth
has the distinction of being the oldest house in the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in accolade
public acknowledgment or admiration for an achievement
I did all of the work, and the other guy got all the distinction
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in dominance
the fact or state of being above others in rank or importance
a number of physicians of national distinction serve on the staff of the teaching hospital
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in award
something given in recognition of achievement
won a number of distinctions in her long career as an actress
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in difference
the quality or state of being different
the distinction between the two photographic prints escapes me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in separation
the state of being kept distinct
the distinction between liberty and license is often violated in today's freewheeling society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinction
The part that feels especially Saturnian is that key distinction: moral qualities judged apart from intelligence, competence, or special talents.
—
Colin Bedell, Them., 28 May 2025
The relief was because the gelding’s distinction was a paddle foot.
—Louise Erdrich, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
That distinction, perhaps surprising to some, belongs to chicken burgers.
—Perri Ormont Blumberg, FOXNews.com, 24 May 2025
This distinction is more urgent than ever as AI makes surface-level content alarmingly easy to produce.
—Rhea Wessel, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinction
Colin Bedell, Them., 28 May 2025
The relief was because the gelding’s distinction was a paddle foot.
—Louise Erdrich, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
That distinction, perhaps surprising to some, belongs to chicken burgers.
—Perri Ormont Blumberg, FOXNews.com, 24 May 2025
This distinction is more urgent than ever as AI makes surface-level content alarmingly easy to produce.
—Rhea Wessel, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinction
Noun
-
Farhana has worked alongside Ollie to create a culture of ambition, collaboration and artistic excellence, enhancing Film4’s reputation as one of the most pioneering and dynamic teams in the business.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
3 June 2025
-
Concurrently, operational excellence initiatives—things like leveraging Industry 4.0 technologies, analytics and process automation—are delivering unprecedented efficiency gains.—
Mustansir Paliwala,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
Pone hit a sacrifice fly to put Ole Miss up 5-4, Mackenzie Pickens hit and RBI single in the fifth for a two-run advantage and Brady sent a solo home run to left-center field in the seventh to set the final score.—
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
26 May 2025
-
In this context, the real advantage lies not simply in exporting more whisky but in embedding British spirits—Scotch and otherwise—within a broader consumer and distribution ecosystem.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
Filmed at the legendary actor's Malibu home, the video features footage of Van Dyke's many accolades and awards, sweet clips of him and his extended family, and emotional moments of reflection.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2025
-
Sporting some of the world’s highest difficulty on floor and beam, 2025 could be the year for Roberson to capture individual accolades.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Noun
-
Reliance on China China’s dominance in the global drug supply chain is part and parcel of its position as the world’s factory.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
-
In the future, another language – or no language at all – might rise to dominance.—
Nicholas Green,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
For the 51st installment of the awards show, stars descended on Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Memorial Day to celebrate the biggest names in music, and brought their fashion A-game on the 99-degree day.—
Jackie Fields,
People.com,
27 May 2025
-
In her 30-year career, Laura has won numerous national awards for coverage of human trafficking, child welfare, crime and government secrecy.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 May 2025
Noun
-
Another notable difference is the absence of the American flag in the latest portrait.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
3 June 2025
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One big difference, however, from other Universal hotels at similar price points is Helios Grand guests do not get free Universal Express Unlimited passes to cut waits at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
But left-hander Jared Shuster gave up three straight singles with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, and Lindor drove in an insurance run to get some separation from the Sox.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2025
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But the recent crisis shows that too much separation creates its own problems.—
Tima Bansal,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Noun
-
Education was considered an individual pursuit marked by moral excellency and only the students who did the best in school would have proceeded to higher education.—
Sara Novak,
Discover Magazine,
12 Nov. 2024
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Education was considered an individual pursuit marked by moral excellency and only the students who did the best in school would have proceeded to higher education.—
Sara Novak,
Discover Magazine,
12 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Distinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinction. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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