distinguish

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

v. t. differentiate, characterize; separate, discriminate; discern, pick out; honor. See difference, taste, vision.

II

(Roget's IV) v.

1. [To make distinctions]

Syn. discriminate, discriminate between, differentiate, classify, specify, identify, individualize, characterize, separate, tell apart, demarcate, divide, collate, sort out, set apart, mark off, select, see the difference, exercise discrimination, make a distinction, single out, sift, draw the line, tell from, pick and choose, tell which is which, separate the wheat from the chaff*, separate the sheep from the goats*; see also classify , define 1 , 2 .

2. [To discern]

Syn. detect, discriminate, notice; see discover , recognize 1 , see 1 .

3. [To provide an identification]

Syn. identify, label, tag; see mark 2 , name 1 , 2 .

4. [To bestow honor upon]

Syn. pay tribute to, signalize, celebrate, ennoble; see admire 1 , praise 1 .

See Synonym Study at discern . Syn.- distinguish implies a recognizing or marking apart from others by special features or characteristic qualities [ to distinguish good from evil ] ; discriminate suggests a distinguishing of minute or subtle differences between similar things [ to discriminate scents ] ; differentiate suggests the noting or ascertaining of specific differences between things by comparing in detail their distinguishing qualities or features

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) v.

1. see the difference differentiate, discriminate, separate, judge, tell apart, ascertain, characterize, classify.

2. discern make out, perceive, see, notice, detect, observe, apprehend, catch, spot, recognize.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) verb 1. To recognize as being different: differentiate, discern, discriminate, know, separate, tell. See SAME. 2. To perceive and fix the identity of, especially with difficulty: descry, discern, make out, pick out, spot. See SEE. 3. To perceive with a special effort of the senses or the mind: descry, detect, discern, mark, mind, note, notice, observe, remark, see. See KNOWLEDGE, SEE. 4. To make noticeable or different: characterize, differentiate, discriminate, individualize, mark, set apart, signalize, singularize. See SAME. 5. To cause to be eminent or recognized: elevate, ennoble, exalt, honor, signalize. See RESPECT.