Distinction
Distinction noun - The quality or state of being different.
Usage example: the distinction between the two photographic prints escapes me
Identity is an antonym for distinction.
Identity
Identity noun - The state of being exactly alike.
Usage example: although the covers of the two paperback editions of the novel are different, there's a complete identity in the texts
Distinction is an antonym for identity.
How words are described
Both words in one sentence
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In other words, regional identity often comes first, and there's a quite evident distinction between Northern, Central, Southern Italy and the islands.
Source: Useful Notes / Italy -
Badass in a Nice Suit: Moriarty, which helps draw a sharp visual distinction between his scrubs-wearing false identity and the real Moriarty.
Source: Series / Sherlock -
This leads to a theme of "loss of distinction between real and artificial" on which philosophical and existential conflicts about transhumanism can arise, such as questions on the nature of identity and "What Measure Is a Non-Human?."
Source: Cyber Punk
Cite this Source
Identity and Distinction. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/distinction/identity
Distinction & Identity. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/distinction/identity>.
Identity or Distinction. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/distinction/identity.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "distinction" and "identity" have occurred on timeline