distinctive

[dih-stingk-tiv]

adjective

1. serving to distinguish; characteristic; distinguishing: distinguishing.

   the distinctive stripes of the zebra.

   Synonyms: individual

2. having a special quality, style, attractiveness, etc.; notable.

distinctive

/ dɪˈstɪŋktɪv /

adjective

1. serving or tending to distinguish

2. denoting one of a set of minimal features of a phoneme in a given language that serve to distinguish it from other phonemes. The distinctive features of /p/ in English are that it is voiceless, bilabial, non-nasal, and plosive; /b/ is voiced, bilabial, non-nasal, and plosive: the two differ by the distinctive feature of voice

Other Word Forms

• distinctively adverb
• distinctiveness noun
• subdistinctive adjective
• subdistinctively adverb
• subdistinctiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of distinctive¹

First recorded in 1575–85; from Medieval Latin distinctīvus; equivalent to distinct + -ive

Example Sentences

Jones also had to swap her British accent out for a thick, distinctive Delco accent, as the dialect spoken by those from Delaware County is affectionately called.

From Los Angeles Times

Those who voted Leave in 2016 have distinctive views on a range of so-called cultural issues.

From BBC

Cognitive science shows that mnemonics help memory, distinctive voice draws attention and a sense of joy strengthens retention.

From Salon

The 1960s middle classes could not afford haute couture, but yearned for a stylish, distinctive look of their own.

From BBC

While many of the rings were "relatively clear", others were less distinctive which made it "challenging" to complete a precise count, the spokesman said.

From BBC

Related Words

• cool 
• extraordinary 
• idiosyncratic 
• offbeat 
• original 
• peculiar 
• singular 
• special 
• weird