June 29, 2011
- distinctive (adjective)
- \dih-STINK-tiv\
- What does it mean?
- 1 : clearly marking a person or a thing as different from others2 : having or giving a special look or way
- How do you use it?
- The most distinctive feature of baseball's Fenway Park is the left field wall, which is known as "the Green Monster."
- Are you a word wiz?
Of the words below, one is distinctive as a synonym of "distinctive." Which one do you think it is?
"Distinctive," "characteristic," and "individual" all indicate a special or unique quality. Yet they each have a distinctive connotation when used in a sentence. "Distinctive" suggests qualities that distinguish one person or thing from another, as in "a very distinctive voice." "Characteristic" applies to something that is typical of a person or identifies a person or thing, as in "responded with characteristic humor." "Individual" stresses qualities that distinguish someone or something from all others, as in "highly individual writing styles."
