-
Contents
distinctive definition
Overview
This page has 10 definitions of distinctive in English and French. Distinctive is an adjective and noun. Examples of how to use distinctive in a sentence are shown. Also define these 0 related words and terms: .
English distinctive definition
Etymology
From Latin distinctus, perfect passive participle of distinguere (“to push apart, to divide”), + -ive (forming adjectives signifying relation or tendency to). Cognate with French distinctif and Medieval Latin distinctivus.
Pronunciation
Adjective
distinctive (comparative more distinctive, superlative most distinctive)
- Distinguishing, used to or enabling the distinguishing of some thing.
- a product in distinctive packaging
- (rare) Discriminating, discerning, having the ability to distinguish between things.
- 1650, Thomas Browne, chapter 3, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], OCLC 152706203, 2nd book, page 75:
- […] more judicious and distinctive heads...
- Characteristic, typical.
- 1856, John Ruskin, Modern Painters, volume III, page 293:
- Wordsworth's distinctive work was a war with pomp and pretence, and a display of the majesty of simple feelings and humble hearts.
- his distinctive bass voice
- (rare) Distinguished, being distinct in character or position.
- 1867, Samuel Smiles, The Huguenots, Ch. xvii, p. 432:
- The refugees... at length ceased to exist as a distinctive body among the people.
- 1867, Samuel Smiles, The Huguenots, Ch. xvii, p. 432:
- (Hebrew grammar, of accents) Used to separate clauses in place of stops.
- 1874, Andrew Bruce Davidson, Introductory Hebrew Grammar, p. 27:
- These are the main distinctive accents, and by stopping at them... the reader will do justice to the sense.
- 1874, Andrew Bruce Davidson, Introductory Hebrew Grammar, p. 27:
- (linguistics, of sounds) Distinguishing a particular sense of word.
- 1927, L. Bloomfield & al., Language, No. 3, p. 129:
- Normally we symbolize only phonemes (distinctive features) so far as we can determine them.
- 1927, L. Bloomfield & al., Language, No. 3, p. 129:
Derived terms
- distinctive feature
- distinctively
- distinctiveness
Related terms
Translations
|
|
|
|
Noun
distinctive (plural distinctives)
- A distinctive thing: a quality or property permitting distinguishing; a characteristic.
- 1816, Maurice Keatinge, Travels through France and Spain to Morocco, Vol. I, p. 189:
- ...the red umbrella, the distinctive of royalty here...
- 1816, Maurice Keatinge, Travels through France and Spain to Morocco, Vol. I, p. 189:
- (Hebrew grammar) A distinctive accent.
- 1874, Andrew Bruce Davidson, Introductory Hebrew Grammar, p. 27:
- A distinctive of less power than Zakeph is Ṭiphḥâ.
- 1874, Andrew Bruce Davidson, Introductory Hebrew Grammar, p. 27:
- (theology) A distinctive belief, tenet, or dogma of a denomination or sect.
- 1979, Theron F. Schlabach, "Gospel versus Gospel" in Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History, p. 154:
- Mennonites could go forth somewhat detached from the chauvinism of Western culture—but not so from the Mennonite distinctives.
- 1979, Theron F. Schlabach, "Gospel versus Gospel" in Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History, p. 154:
References
- “distinctive”, in OED Online
, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1896. - distinctive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- distinctive in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
French distinctive definition
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /dis.tɛ̃k.tiv/
- Homophone: distinctives
Adjective
distinctive