Distinctly different or contrasted with something else; marked by clear opposition or differentiation.
From Latin 'contra-' (against) + 'distinctus' (separated, distinguished). Developed in English philosophical writing to describe things that are opposed in their essential characteristics.
This word was beloved by medieval and Renaissance philosophers who needed a precise term for things that don't just differ, but actively define themselves against each other—like how 'light' and 'darkness' aren't just different, they're contradistinct.
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