different between distinguish vs deduce

English

Etymology

From Middle English distingwen, from Old French distinguer, from Latin distinguere (“to separate, divide, distinguish, set off, adorn, literally mark off”), from di-, dis- (“apart”) + stinguere. Compare extinguish.

Pronunciation

• enPR: d?s-t?ng?gw?sh, IPA^(key): /d?s?t???w??/
• Rhymes: -???w??
• Hyphenation: dis?tin?guish

Verb

distinguish (third-person singular simple present distinguishes, present participle distinguishing, simple past and past participle distinguished)

1. To recognize someone or something as different from others based on its characteristics.

   Synonyms: differentiate, discriminate; see also Thesaurus:tell apart

   Antonym: confuse
2. To see someone or something clearly or distinctly.
3. To make oneself noticeably different or better from others through accomplishments.
   • 1784: William Jones, The Description and Use of a New Portable Orrery, &c., PREFACE

     THE favourable reception the Orrery has met with from Per?ons of the fir?t di?tinction, and from Gentlemen and Ladies in general, has induced me to add to it ?everal new improvements in order to give it a degree of Perfection; and di?tingui?h it from others; which by Piracy, or Imitation, may be introduced to the Public.

4. (transitive, obsolete) To make to differ.

Usage notes

In sense “see a difference”, more casual than differentiate or the formal discriminate; more casual is “tell the difference”.

Derived terms

• distinguished
• distinguishable
• distinguishing
• distinguishness
• undistinguishing

Related terms

• distinct
• distinction
• extinguish

Translations

Further reading

• distinguish in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• distinguish in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

English

Etymology

From Late Middle English deducen (“to demonstrate, prove, show; to argue, infer; to bring, lead; to turn (something) to a use; to deduct”), borrowed from Latin d?d?cere, the present active infinitive of d?d?c? (“to lead or bring out or away; to accompany, conduct, escort; (figuratively) to derive, discover, deduce”); from d?- (prefix meaning ‘from, away from’) + d?cere (the present active infinitive of d?c? (“to conduct, guide, lead; to draw, pull; to consider, regard, think”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to lead; to draw, pull”)).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d??dju?s/, IPA^(key): /d??d?u?s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /d??d(j)us/, /d?-/
• Rhymes: -u?s
• Hyphenation: de?duce

Verb

deduce (third-person singular simple present deduces, present participle deducing, simple past and past participle deduced)

1. (transitive) To reach (a conclusion) by applying rules of logic or other forms of reasoning to given premises or known facts.

   Synonyms: conclude, infer

   Antonym: induce
2. (transitive) To examine, explain, or record (something) in an orderly manner.
3. (transitive, archaic) To obtain (something) from some source; to derive.
4. (intransitive, archaic) To be derived or obtained from some source.
5. (transitive, obsolete) To take away (something); to deduct, to subtract (something).
6. (transitive, obsolete, based on the word’s Latin etymon) To lead (something) forth.

Usage notes

• Regarding sense 1 (“to reach (a conclusion)”), for example, from the premises “all good people believe in the tooth fairy” and “Jimmy does not believe in the tooth fairy”, we deduce the conclusion “Jimmy is not a good person”. This particular form of deduction is called a syllogism. Note that in this case we reach a false conclusion by correct deduction from a false premise.

Conjugation

Alternative forms

• diduce (obsolete)

Derived terms

• deducement (obsolete)
• deducing (noun)
• deducive (rare)

Related terms

Translations

References

Further reading

• deductive reasoning on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• deuced, educed

Italian

Verb

deduce

1. third-person singular indicative present of dedurre

Latin

Verb

d?d?ce

1. second-person singular present active imperative of d?d?c?

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin deducere, French déduire, with conjugation based on duce.

Verb

a deduce (third-person singular present deduce, past participle dedus) 3rd conj.

1. (transitive) to infer, deduce (to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence)

Conjugation

Spanish

Verb

deduce

1. Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of deducir.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present indicative form of deducir.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present indicative form of deducir.