distinction
French, noun/dis.tɛ̃k.sjɔ̃/
distinction is spelled D-I-S-T-I-N-C-T-I-O-N (11 letters) and appears 18 times per million words in written French, the 4,224th most frequent French word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Distinction is a French feminine noun meaning “distinction (difference, honour)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire) defines it as “Action de séparer nettement une chose d’une autre”.
What does distinction mean in English?
noun
- 1
femininedistinction (difference, honour)
Source: English Wiktionary, French section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How French dictionaries define it
noun: 1. Action de séparer nettement une chose d’une autre. 2. Indication, séparation des divers sens qu’une proposition peut recevoir. 3. Opération de l’esprit par laquelle on distingue une chose d'une autre. 4. Action de mettre une différence entre des personnes ou des choses, ou d’avoir égard à la différence qui est entre elles.
The definition in the French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire), in French.
Source: French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of distinction
- distinctions plural
Source: English Wiktionary and French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
How do you pronounce distinction?
- /dis.tɛ̃k.sjɔ̃/
- \dis.tɛ̃k.sjɔ̃\
- [dis.tɛ̃k.sjɔ̃]
Sources: English Wiktionary, French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
English words that translate to distinction
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is distinction in French?
distinction appears 18 times per million words in written French.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).