SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
distinctive
adjective
Having a quality that makes someone or something recognizable and different from others.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Readily recognizable
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topUnique strictly means one of a kind; distinctive can describe a recognizable shared style.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See distinctive in use
The artist's distinctive use of blue made the unsigned sketch familiar.
For an exhibition of invented book covers, Ari gave one series a distinctive border made of uneven blue squares.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license