distinguished as not being the same; not identical; separate (sometimes fol. by from): His private and public lives are distinct.
2.
different in nature or quality; dissimilar (sometimes fol. by from): Gold is distinct from iron.
3.
clear to the senses or intellect; plain; unmistakable: The ship appeared as a distinct silhouette.
4.
distinguishing or perceiving clearly: distinct vision.
5.
unquestionably exceptional or notable: a distinct honor.
6.
Archaic. distinctively decorated or adorned.
Origin: 1350–1400; ME < L distinctus, ptp. of disting(u)ere to divide off, pick out, distinguish (di-di-2+ *sting(u)ere presumably, to prick, mark by pricking; cf. instinct1, instigate)
Related forms:
dis⋅tinct⋅ness, noun
Synonyms: 1.individual. See various.3.well-defined, unconfused.
Readily distinguishable from all others; discrete: on two distinct occasions.
Easily perceived by the senses or intellect; clear: a distinct flavor.
Clearly defined; unquestionable: at a distinct disadvantage.
Very likely; probable: There is a distinct possibility that she won't come.
Notable: a distinct honor and high privilege.
[Middle English, past participle of distincten, to distinguish, discern, from Old French destincter, from Latin distīnctus, past participle of distinguere, to distinguish; see distinguish.] dis·tinct'ly adv., dis·tinct'ness n.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean distinguished from others in nature or qualities: 12 distinct colors; a company with six discrete divisions; a problem consisting of two separate issues; performed several steps of the process. See Also Synonyms at apparent.
Usage Note: A thing is distinct if it is sharply distinguished from other things; a property or attribute is distinctive if it enables us to distinguish one thing from another. The warbler is not a distinct species means that the warbler is not a clearly defined type of bird. The pine warbler has a distinctive song means that the pine warbler's song enables us to distinguish it from all other birds, including other warblers.
[di-stingkt] 
