Recognizes a difference between things; separates or marks something as different from others; or perceives or identifies something clearly.
From Latin 'distinguere' (dis- = apart, stinguere = to prick/mark). The verb literally meant 'to mark apart' and evolved to mean perceiving differences and making distinctions between separate things.
The verb 'distinguish' is key to all science—Darwin distinguished finch species, doctors distinguish diseases by symptoms, and your brain distinguishes your mom's face from a stranger's—it's literally what makes understanding the world possible.
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