distinctive

di-STINGK-tiv/dɪˈstɪŋktɪv/

9 meanings of distinctive

1
adjective
Helping to tell one thing apart from others.
Like a name tag that helps you tell one person from another.
The bird has a distinctive red mark on its wing.
Her voice is so distinctive that I knew her at once.
Similarcharacteristic, distinguishing, unique, individual, unmistakable
Oppositecommon, ordinary, nondescript
Note
2
adjective
Belonging to and typical of one person, group, or place.
Like a special food that always reminds you of one country.
Long, dark winters are distinctive of life in the far north.
That spicy taste is distinctive of the region's home cooking.
Similarcharacteristic, typical, representative
Oppositeuncharacteristic, atypical
3
nouncountable
A special quality that helps tell one thing apart from others.
Like a fingerprint that belongs to just one person.
Kindness is the main distinctive of a good leader.
Each team has its own distinctives that fans quickly recognize.
Similarcharacteristic, feature, hallmark, trait, attribute
4
adjective
In language study, helping to tell apart words that mean different things.
Like changing one letter to make a whole new word.
In English, the b and p sounds are distinctive because swapping them changes a word's meaning.
Some sound differences are distinctive, but others are not.
Similarcontrastive
Note
5
nouncountable
A special belief that sets one church group apart from others.
Like a special rule that makes one club different from another.
Adult baptism is a key distinctive of that church.
Each group teaches its own distinctives to new members.
Similartenet, doctrine, belief
Note
6
noundialectalHebrewcountable
A way of speaking that shows where someone comes from.
Like the way a voice can tell you a person's home town.
You could hear a strong distinctive in the way he spoke.
The town is known for the distinctives of its oldest speakers.
Similaraccent
Note
7
adjectivedialectalHebrew
In writing, marking where one clause ends and the next begins, instead of using a period.
Like a small dot that says take a breath instead of fully stopping.
The old text used a distinctive mark to split long sentences.
Scribes added a distinctive point where we would now place a period.
Note

Less common meanings

8
adjectiverare
Able to notice and judge small differences between things.
Like having very sharp eyes that catch what other people miss.
A distinctive judge can spot tiny faults that others miss.
She has a distinctive eye for good design.
Similardiscriminating, discerning, perceptive
Note
9
adjectiverare
Important and respected, and standing out in rank or character.
Like a person everyone looks up to because of their high place.
He came from a distinctive family known across the whole city.
The refugees... at length ceased to exist as a distinctive body among the people.
1867, Samuel Smiles, The HuguenotsHere, distinctive means separate and clearly marked out from the other people.
Similardistinguished, eminent, notable, prominent, illustrious
Oppositeobscure, undistinguished
Note

Practice

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Origin

It comes from Latin distinguere, meaning "to divide," plus the ending -ive that makes adjectives.