Distinguish

• POS: Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: dis=tin=guish

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Distinguish, v.
1 tr. (often foll. by from) a see or point out the difference of; draw distinctions (cannot distinguish one from the other). b constitute such a difference (the mole distinguishes him from his twin). c draw distinctions between; differentiate.
2 tr. be a mark or property of; characterize (distinguished by his greed).
3 tr. discover by listening, looking, etc. (could distinguish two voices).
4 tr. (usu. refl.; often foll. by by) make prominent or noteworthy (distinguished himself by winning first prize).
5 tr. (often foll. by into) divide; classify.
6 intr. (foll. by between) make or point out a difference between.

Derivative

distinguishable adj.

Etymology

F distinguer or L distinguere (as DIS-, stinguere stinct- extinguish): cf. EXTINGUISH

THESAURUS

Distinguish

adorn, aggrandize, analyze, anatomize, atomize, be characteristic, behold, bestow honor upon, call attention to, catch sight of, categorize, change, characterize, chop logic, clap eyes on, classify, confer distinction on, contradistinguish, decide, define, demarcate, demark, denote, describe, descry, designate, desynonymize, detach, detect, determinate, determine, diagnose, difference, differentiate, dignify, discern, discover, discriminate, disengage, disequalize, disjoin, diversify, divide, draw the line, earmark, ennoble, erect, espy, extricate, feel, finger, glimpse, glorify, grace, grade, group, have, have in sight, hear, honor, identify, indicate, individualize, individuate, judge, ken, keynote, know, know again, lay eyes on, look on, look upon, magnify, make a distinction, make out, mark, mark off, mark out, mark the interface, modify, nail, note, notice, observe, part, particularize, peg, perceive, personalize, pick out, pick up, pinpoint, place, qualify, realize, recall knowledge of, recognize, refine a distinction, reidentify, remark, screen, screen out, see, segregate, select, sense, separate, set a limit, set apart, set off, set the pace, set the tone, sever, severalize, sieve, sieve out, sift, sift out, sight, signalize, single out, smell, sort, sort out, sound the keynote, specialize, split hairs, spot, spy, subdivide, sublime, subtilize, take in, taste, tell, tell apart, twig, uprear, vary, view, winnow, witness

ROGET THESAURUS

Distinguish

Vision

VB see, behold, discern, perceive, have in sight, descry, sight, make out, discover, distinguish, recognize, spy, espy, ken, get a sight of, have a sight of, catch a sight of, get a glimpse of, have a glimpse of, catch a glimpse of, command a view of, witness, contemplate, speculate, cast the eyes on, set the eyes on, be a spectator of, look on, see sights, see at a glance, look, view, eye, lift up the eyes, open one's eye, look at, look on, look upon, look over, look about one, look round, survey, scan, inspect, run the eye over, run the eye through, reconnoiter, glance round, glance on, glance over turn one's looks upon, bend one's looks upon, direct the eyes to, turn the eyes on, cast a glance, observe, watch, see with one's own eyes, watch for, peep, peer, pry, take a peep, play at bopeep, look full in the face, look hard at, look intently, strain one's eyes, fix the eyes upon, rivet the eyes upon, stare, gaze, pore over, gloat on, leer, ogle, glare, goggle, cock the eye, squint, gloat, look askance.

Discrimination

VB discriminate, distinguish, severalize, recognize, match, identify, separate, draw the line, sift, separate the chaff from the wheat, winnow the chaff from the wheat, separate the men from the boys, split hairs, draw a fine line, nitpick, quibble, estimate, know which is which, know what is what, know 'a hawk from a handsaw', take into account, take into consideration, give due weight to, allow due weight to, weigh carefully.