Definition of "distinction" []

• The act of distinguishing; differentiation. (noun)
• The condition or fact of being dissimilar or distinct; difference: "the crucial distinction between education and indoctrination” ( A. Bartlett Giamatti). See Synonyms at difference. (noun)
• A distinguishing factor, attribute, or characteristic. (noun)
• Excellence or eminence, as of performance, character, or reputation: a diplomat of distinction. (noun)
• A special feature or quality conferring superiority. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "In short, perhaps we can argue that the distinction, such as it is, between Socrates and his humanity is merely a ˜distinction of reason™."
• "The distinction cannot therefore be dismissed as a ˜distinction without a difference™."
• "But the main distinction is this: Here, the students are being coerced to participate in a patriotic exercise, not a religious exercise."