Definition of "distinctive"

distinctive

/dɪˈstɪŋktɪv/

adjective
comparative more distinctive, superlative most distinctive
1. Distinguishing, used to or enabling the distinguishing of some thing.
  Quotations
  Our Apparell was giuen vs as a signe distinctiue to discern betwixt sex and sex.
  1583, Philip Stubbes, The Anatomie of Abuses, Folio V
2. (rare) Discriminating, discerning, having the ability to distinguish between things.
  Quotations
  […] more judicious and distinctive heads...
  1650, Thomas Browne, chapter 3, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], 2nd book, page 75
3. Characteristic, typical.
  Quotations
  Wordsworth's distinctive work was a war with pomp and pretence, and a display of the majesty of simple feelings and humble hearts.
  1856, John Ruskin, Modern Painters, volume III (part IV), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], page 293
4. (rare) Distinguished, being distinct in character or position.
  Quotations
  The refugees... at length ceased to exist as a distinctive body among the people.
  1867, Samuel Smiles, chapter XVII, in The Huguenots, page 432
5. (Hebrew grammar, of accents) Used to separate clauses in place of stops.
  Quotations
  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, page 27
6. (linguistics, of sounds) Distinguishing a particular sense of word.
  Quotations
  Normally we symbolize only phonemes (distinctive features) so far as we can determine them.
  1927, L. Bloomfield et al., Language, number 3, page 129
noun
plural distinctives
1. A distinctive thing: a quality or property permitting distinguishing; a characteristic.
  Quotations
  ...the red umbrella, the distinctive of royalty here...
  1816, Maurice Keatinge, Travels through France and Spain to Morocco, volume I, page 189
2. (Hebrew grammar) A distinctive accent.
  Quotations
  A distinctive of less power than Zakeph is Ṭiphḥâ.
  1874, Andrew Bruce Davidson, Introductory Hebrew Grammar, page 27
3. (theology) A distinctive belief, tenet, or dogma of a denomination or sect.
  Quotations
  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, page 154

Definition of "distinctive"

distinctive

adjective

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noun

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