distinction
/dɪˈstɪŋk.ʃən/
noun
Origin
Latin
distinguere — to separate, divide, or distinguish
Overview
Meaning Now
- a difference or contrast between similar things or people.
- a special quality or feature that makes someone or something stand out.
- excellence that sets someone or something apart from others.
Literal older meaning
the act of marking off or separating
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
distinction
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term stems from the Latin concept of 'distinguere', originally meaning to distinguish by marking or pricking. In the Middle Ages, the word was heavily used in scholastic theology and logic to denote the necessary separation between concepts, such as the distinction between essence and existence.
Evolution
- Latin
distinguere
“to separate or mark”
from dis- (apart) + stinguere (to prick/extinguish)
- Middle French
distinction
“separation, discrimination”
- Middle English
distinction
“the act of separating”
introduced via scholarship and legal contexts
Connections
Word parts
dis-
prefix
apart
stinct-
root
to pierce or mark
-ion
suffix
the act of
Related across languages
French
distinction
Spanish
distinción
distinction
Related words
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Related to distinction
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.