different between distinctive vs spirited

English

Etymology

From Latin distinctus, perfect passive participle of distinguere (“to push apart, to divide”), + -ive (forming adjectives signifying relation or tendency to). Cognate with French distinctif and Medieval Latin distinctivus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??st??kt?v/

Adjective

distinctive (comparative more distinctive, superlative most distinctive)

1. Distinguishing, used to or enabling the distinguishing of some thing.
   • 1583, Philip Stubbes, The Anatomie of Abuses, Fol. V:

     Our Apparell was giuen vs as a signe distinctiue to discern betwixt sex and sex.

   a product in distinctive packaging

2. (rare) Discriminating, discerning, having the ability to distinguish between things.
   • 1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, Vol. II, Ch. iii, p. 75:

     ...more judicious and distinctive heads...

3. Characteristic, typical.
   • 1856, John Ruskin, Modern Painters, Vol. III, p. 293:

     Wordsworth's distinctive work was a war with pomp and pretence, and a display of the majesty of simple feelings and humble hearts.

   his distinctive bass voice

4. (rare) Distinguished, being distinct in character or position.
   • 1867, Samuel Smiles, The Huguenots, Ch. xvii, p. 432:

     The refugees... at length ceased to exist as a distinctive body among the people.

5. (Hebrew grammar, of accents) Used to separate clauses in place of stops.
   • 1874, Andrew Bruce Davidson, Introductory Hebrew Grammar, p. 27:

     These are the main distinctive accents, and by stopping at them... the reader will do justice to the sense.

6. (linguistics, of sounds) Distinguishing a particular sense of word.
   • 1927, L. Bloomfield & al., Language, No. 3, p. 129:

     Normally we symbolize only phonemes (distinctive features) so far as we can determine them.

Derived terms

• distinctive feature

Related terms

Translations

Noun

distinctive (plural distinctives)

1. A distinctive thing: a quality or property permitting distinguishing; a characteristic.
   • 1816, Maurice Keatinge, Travels through France and Spain to Morocco, Vol. I, p. 189:

     ...the red umbrella, the distinctive of royalty here...

2. (Hebrew grammar) A distinctive accent.
   • 1874, Andrew Bruce Davidson, Introductory Hebrew Grammar, p. 27:

     A distinctive of less power than Zakeph is ?iph?â.

3. (theology) A distinctive belief, tenet, or dogma of a denomination or sect.
   • 1979, Theron F. Schlabach, "Gospel versus Gospel" in Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History, p. 154:

     Mennonites could go forth somewhat detached from the chauvinism of Western culture—but not so from the Mennonite distinctives.

References

• “distinctive”, in OED Online ?, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1896
• distinctive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• distinctive in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dis.t??k.tiv/
• Homophone: distinctives

Adjective

distinctive

1. feminine singular of distinctif

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sp???t?d/
• Hyphenation: spir?it?ed

Verb

spirited

1. simple past tense and past participle of spirit

Adjective

spirited (comparative more spirited, superlative most spirited)

1. Lively, vigorous, animated or courageous.
   • November 2 2014, Daniel Taylor, "Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk

     Remarkably United’s 10 men almost salvaged an improbable draw during a late, spirited challenge. They showed great competitive courage in that period and there were chances for Robin van Persie, Ángel Di María and Marouane Fellaini to punish City for defending too deeply and not being more clinical with their opportunities at the other end.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

• despirit, dirt pies, pteriids, rip tides, riptides, tide rips