What does “distinction” mean?
- 1
nouna clear difference between two similar things
Children must learn the distinction between right and wrong.
- 2
nounexcellence or honor that makes someone special
She is a scientist of great distinction.
- 3
nounthe highest grade or award for a course or exam
He passed the course with distinction.
Distinction at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- C1 (advanced)
- Pronunciation
- /dɪˈstɪŋkʃən/ · dih-STINGK-shun
How to use “distinction” correctly
You “make” or “draw” a distinction between two things. “Distinct” = clearly different; “distinctive” = easy to recognize.
Common phrases with “distinction”
- make a distinction
- draw a distinction between
- with distinction
- have the distinction of
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- difference
- excellence
- honor
Word family
- distinct
- distinctive
- distinguish
“distinction” is on these word lists
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