distinction
(dɪˈstɪŋkʃən)
[a. F. distinction (12th c. in Littré), ad. L. distinctiōn-em, n. of action f. distinguĕre to distinguish.]
† 1. The action of dividing or fact of being divided; division, partition; separation. (In quot. 1520, division of opinion, dissension.) Obs.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) I. 111 (Mätz.) For distinccioun of dyuers manere men þat woned þere. 1520 Caxton's Chron. Eng. v. 62/1 There was a great dystynccyon, for the Clergy entended to have chose Peres the archebysshop. 1586 A. Day Eng. Secretary i. (1625) 144 There might also be made a distinction of love..one tearmed by the name of Friendship, and this other chalenging onely..Love. 1612 Brinsley Pos. Parts (1669) p. iii, Else distinctions of the Chapters are not observed. 1661 Boyle Style of Script. (1675) 60 The distinction of chapters and verses now in use. 1668 Dryden Ess. Dram. Poesy (T.) The distinction of tragedy into acts. 1709–29 V. Mandey Syst. Math., Geogr. 541 Part I. Of the Distinction of the Earth. |
† b. Division of a sentence by stops, punctuation; a point or stop. Obs.
| 1552 Huloet, Distinction or poynte in sentence, diastole, distinctio. 1579 Fulke Heskins' Parl. 195 To corrupt it by..wrong distinction or pointing. a 1637 B. Jonson Eng. Gram. ii. ix, The distinctions of an imperfect sentence are two, a comma and a semicolon. |
† c. concr. A partition, something that separates. Obs.
| 1578 Banister Hist. Man i. 13 Betwene euery tooth are euident distinctions, or hedges. |
† 2. One of the parts into which a whole is divided; a division, section; a class, category.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 12 Þeos boc ich to dele on eihte distinctiuns, þet ȝe clepieð dolen. c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. (E.E.T.S.) 42 Departand þis booke yn distinccons or bokes. 1586 A. Day Eng. Secretary i. (1625) 20 His distinctions are Hortatorie and Dehortatorie; Swasorie and Disswasorie. 1677 Hale Prim. Orig. Man. ii. x. 234 Persons..known to be of that Linage and Descent, and still continuing..in that Distinction. 1756 Burke Subl. & B. v. ii, Words..are capable of being classed into more curious distinctions. 1848 Kelly tr. Cambrensis Eversus I. 373 He prepared to recite his work in Oxford..one of the three distinctions of the book being read each day. |
† b. Class (in relation to status); rank, grade. of the first distinction: of the highest rank; highly distinguished (cf. sense 8). Obs.
| 1719 Swift To Yng. Clergym. Wks. 1755 II. ii. 3 Among the clergy of all distinctions. 1734 tr. Rollin's Anc. Hist. (1827) II. ii. 88 Three hundred young Carthaginians of the first distinction. a 1763 Shenstone (Mason), Societies, ranks, orders, and distinctions amongst men. |
3. The action of distinguishing or discriminating; the perceiving, noting, or making a difference between things; discrimination. With a and pl., the result of this action, a difference thus made or appreciated.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter lxv. 12 Sayand..i hafe nede of þe, noght þou of me, þis is a right distynccioun. 1382 Wyclif Rom. iii. 22 The riȝtwysnesse of God is by the feith of Ihesu Crist on alle that bileuen in to hym; forsoth ther is no distynccioun. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. viii. xvi. (1495) 323 The sonne hath vertue of dystynccion, for coloures and shappes of thynges by..the lyghte..of the sonne arne knowe and dystynguyd asondre. 1527 Tindale Treat. Justif. by Faith Wks. I. 46 They rend and tear the scriptures with their distinctions. 1551 T. Wilson Logike (1567) 73 b, All suche argumentes must be auoided by distinction, that is, ye must declare the double meanyng in the twoo Proposicions. 1588 Fraunce Lawiers Log. i. iii. 17 b, This nice and frivolous distinction of Chaunce and Fortune. 1607 Shakes. Cor. iii. i. 323 He..is ill-school'd In boulted Language: Meale and Bran together He throwes without distinction. 1662 J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 78 Punish'd, without any distinction of Sex, Age, or Quality. 1677 Ld. Orrery Art of War 11 In some places..one may find a distinction from the Cohorts to the Centuries, and from the Centuries to the Manniples. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 62 ¶4 To cut off their Ears, or Part of them, for Distinction-sake. 1729 Butler Serm. Wks. 1874 II. 6 Every body makes a distinction between self-love, and the several particular passions. 1871 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) IV. xviii. 104, We may..see that a distinction is drawn between the rule of William himself and the rule of his oppressive lieutenants. 1891 Speaker 2 May 534/1 The old universities are open to all, without distinction of rank or creed. |
b. Phr. a distinction without a difference: i.e. one artificially or fictitiously made in a case where no real difference exists.
| 1579 Fulke Heskins' Parl. 207 The distinction remaineth without a difference. 1688 Vox Cleri Pro Rege 47 It seems his Power is absolute, but not arbitrary, which is..a distinction without a difference. 1771 Junius Lett. No. 59. 313 Your correspondent..seems to make a distinction without a difference. 1891 Speaker 2 May 532/2 The jugglery of words was never more successful than in this distinction without a difference. |
4. The condition or fact of being distinct or different; difference. With a and pl., an instance of this, a difference.
| 1435 Misyn Fire of Love 15 O godhede..is of iij. persones..euynhede & onhede forsoth haueand after þe substance of þe godhede, not wantand distinccion of diuersite after þe propirte of þe name. 1532 More Confut. Tindale Wks. 492/2 The Jewes & the christen had other differences & dystinccions betwene them. 1678 Norris Coll. Misc. (1699) 288 It is a certain sign..of real distinction, when the idea of one thing..positively excludes the idea of the other. 1731 J. Gill Trinity i. (1752) 3 Denying a distinction of persons in the Godhead. 1847 Emerson Repr. Men, Plato Wks. (Bohn) I. 300 His patrician tastes laid stress on the distinctions of birth. 1850 M{supc}Cosh Div. Govt. iii. i. (1874) 291 The.. process by which the distinction between good and evil is discovered. |
5. The faculty of distinguishing or accurately observing differences; discernment, discrimination. ? Obs.
| 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. iii. ii. 28, I doe feare..That I shall loose distinction in my ioyes. 1617 Fletcher Valentinian i. iii, Yet take heed, worthy Maximus; all ears Hear not with that distinction mine do. 1654 Cokaine Dianea i. 4 The remotenesse of the place he was in afforded him not distinction to discerne from whence they came. 1768 Sterne Sent. Journ. (1778) II. 110 (Case of Consc.), I like a good distinction in my heart. |
† 6. The condition or quality of being distinctly or clearly perceptible; distinctness. Obs.
| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie ii. iv. [v]. (Arb.) 87 There is no greater difference betwixt a ciuill and brutish vtteraunce then cleare distinction of voices;..the most laudable languages are alwaies most plaine and distinct. 1661 Southwell in Phil. Trans. XLIV. 220 Firing..I heard 56 Reiterations of the Noise. The first twenty were with some Distinction. 1709 Berkeley Th. Vision §84 Able to view them..with the utmost clearness and distinction. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 454 ¶6 All the several Voices lost their Distinction, and rose up in a confused Humming. |
7. Something that distinguishes or discriminates; a distinguishing quality, mark, or characteristic; a distinguishing name or title.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. ii. pr. v. 32 Þat gemmes drawen to hem self..beaute..thorw the distinccon of hem self. 1729 Butler Serm. xi. Wks. 1874 II. 134 It may be spoken of as..the distinction of the present [age] to profess a contracted spirit. 1772 Cowper Let. to J. Hill 4 Feb., The person was described as the Clerk of the House of Lords, without the addition of his proper distinction. 1828 D'Israeli Chas. I, I. iii. 31 From a slender volume of polemical divinity..our Sovereigns still derive one of their regal distinctions. 1848 Rickman Goth. Archit. 33 The capital is the great distinction of this order. |
8. The action of distinguishing or treating with special consideration or honour; the showing of a preferential regard; with a and pl., a mark of special appreciation or honour.
| 1715 De Foe Fam. Instruct. i. iv. (1841) I. 87 She loves you to a distinction above every child she has. 1727 Swift Gulliver iv. x. 327 To give so great a mark of distinction to a creature so inferior as I. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. x, The distinctions lately paid us by our betters awakened that pride which I had laid asleep. 1768 Woman of Honour III. 193 There is no great hazard of your distinction of him being lost upon him. 1780 Harris Philol. Enq. (1841) 394 For grammatical knowledge, we ought to mention with distinction the learned prelate, Dr. Lowth. 1810 Shelley Zastrozzi xv. Pr. Wks. 1888 I. 94 Julia rushed forwards, and, in accents of distinction, in a voice of alarmed tenderness, besought him to spare himself. 1816 J. Scott Vis. Paris Pref. (ed. 5) 30 The feeling..which procured him this distinction. 1855 Prescott Philip II, I. iii. iii. 343 Some were beheaded with the sword,—a distinction reserved..for persons of condition. |
9. a. The condition or fact of being distinguished or of distinguishing oneself; excellence or eminence that distinguishes from others; honourable preeminence; elevation of character, rank, or quality; a distinguishing excellence.
| 1699 M. Lister Journ. Paris 8 All the Houses of Persons of Distinction are built with Port-cocheres. 1748 Relat. Earthq. Lima 55 Fifty select Persons, all Men of Distinction. 1756 [see distinct a. 5]. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth xxiii, Various persons of distinction had come there in his train. 1867 Smiles Huguenots Eng. xii. (1880) 202 He had..served with distinction in the French army. 1887 T. Fowler Princ. Mor. ii. i. 12 The love of distinction or preeminence..seems, in the great majority of men, to operate far more constantly and with far greater force than the love of knowledge. 1890 Spectator 14 June 829/1 Not only is distinctness from others not in itself distinction, but distinctness from others may often be the very opposite of distinction, indeed, a kind, and a very unpleasant kind, of vulgarity. 1891 Speaker 2 May 533/1 The book..has..more quality and distinction than four-fifths of the novels which come under our notice. |
b. The condition or fact of distinguishing oneself by excellence in an examination, as of a degree awarded with distinction; hence, a credit or acknowledgement of excellence awarded to candidates in some examinations who gain more than a certain mark, or otherwise impress the examiners with the high quality of their work; a mark or grade in this category.
| ? 1890 Univ. Mississippi Catal. 1889–90 33 The University now awards for excellent scholarship, distinctions as follows: 1. Diplomas ‘with Special Distinction’, to all students whose entire record averages 95 or upward. 2. Diplomas ‘with Distinction’, to all such whose entire record averages 90 or upward. 1922 Bull. 31st Ann. Reg. 1921–22 (Stanford Univ.) 109 As a recognition of high scholastic attainment the Bachelor's degree may be granted ‘with distinction’ or ‘with great distinction’. 1946 Summary 57th Ann. Rep. 1945 (Assoc. Board R. Schools Music) p. i, Of the 3,662 candidates who passed, 8.85 per cent gained Distinction. 1985 GCSE General Introd. (Dept. of Educ. & Science) 14 The Government has proposed that Distinction and Merit Certificates should be introduced. |
10. Comb., as distinction-maker (see sense 3).
| 1701 J. Law Counc. Trade (1751) 278 Speaking the same language, and if the distinction-makers would let them, having the same inclinations for the public and common good. |