Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Distinction has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
a discrimination between things as different and distinct on the basis of their characteristics or attributes
"it is necessary to make a distinction between love and infatuation"
high status importance owing to marked superiority
"a scholar of great eminence"
a distinguishing difference between similar things or people
"he learned the distinction between gold and lead"
an honor awarded to someone in recognition of achievement or superiority
"she graduated with the highest distinction"
That which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination.
"The subtle distinction between the two dialects became clear only after listening to native speakers from each region."
In plain English: A distinction is a clear difference between two things that makes them not exactly the same.
"The main distinction between these two products is their price."
Usage: Use distinction to describe an honor or award given for excellence rather than simply noting that two things are different. It often appears in phrases like "make a distinction" when emphasizing subtle differences between similar items.
The word "distinction" entered Middle English from Old French around the 12th century, carrying its original meaning derived from the Latin verb distinguō, which means to separate or make distinct. It has been used in English since the late 14th century with this same sense of marking a difference between things.