distinguishable

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbəl/ UK /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
able to be perceived as different or distinct

The forgery was barely distinguishable from the original.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · able to be perceived as... discernible recognizable identifiable perceptibledifferentiabledetectable

Opposites

indistinguishable imperceptible identical indiscernible

Word family

Derived forms distinguishablydistinguishability

Related forms distinguish distinct distinction distinctive

Etymology

From distinguish + -able; distinguish from Latin distinguere ('to separate, mark off'), from dis- ('apart') + stinguere ('to prick, mark'), from Proto-Indo-European *steig- ('to prick, stick').

distinguere Latin *steig- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# distinguishable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbəl/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbəl/

## Meanings
1. able to be perceived as different or distinct

## Examples
- The forgery was barely distinguishable from the original.

## Synonyms
- discernible
- recognizable
- identifiable
- perceptible
- differentiable
- detectable

## Antonyms
- indistinguishable
- imperceptible
- identical
- indiscernible

## Derived Forms
- distinguishably
- distinguishability

## Related Forms
- distinguish
- distinct
- distinction
- distinctive

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: distinguere
- Root: *steig-

## Etymology
From distinguish + -able; distinguish from Latin distinguere ('to separate, mark off'), from dis- ('apart') + stinguere ('to prick, mark'), from Proto-Indo-European *steig- ('to prick, stick').

## AI Etymology
Distinguishable is from distinguish + -able; distinguish from Latin distinguere ('to separate, mark off'), from dis- ('apart') + stinguere ('to prick, mark'), from Proto-Indo-European *steig- ('to prick, stick'). Important recorded forms include distinguere (Latin) and *steig- (Proto-Indo-European). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers able to be perceived as different or distinct. The wider family includes derived forms such as distinguishably and distinguishability and related words such as distinguish, distinct, distinction, and distinctive.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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