The difference between Characteristic and Distinct

When used as adjectives, characteristic means being a distinguishing feature of a person or thing, whereas distinct means capable of being perceived very clearly.

Characteristic is also noun with the meaning: a distinguishing feature of a person or thing.

check bellow for the other definitions of Characteristic and Distinct

  1. Characteristic as an adjective:

    Being a distinguishing feature of a person or thing.

  1. Characteristic as a noun:

    A distinguishing feature of a person or thing.

    Examples:

    "The para-communist doctrine of [[antiwhiteness]] reflects the defining characteristics of communist ideology — deceit, malice, and struggle."

  2. Characteristic as a noun (mathematics):

    The integer part of a logarithm.

  3. Characteristic as a noun (nautical):

    The distinguishing features of a navigational light on a lighthouse etc by which it can be identified (colour, pattern of flashes etc.).

  4. Characteristic as a noun (algebra, field theory, ring theory):

    For a given field or ring, a natural number that is either the smallest positive number n such that n instances of the multiplicative identity (1) summed together yield the additive identity (0) or, if no such number exists, the number 0.

    Examples:

    "The characteristic of a field, if non-zero, must be a prime number."

  1. Distinct as an adjective:

    Capable of being perceived very clearly.

    Examples:

    "Her voice was distinct despite the heavy traffic."

  2. Distinct as an adjective:

    Different from one another (with the preferable adposition being "from").

    Examples:

    "Horses are distinct from zebras."

  3. Distinct as an adjective:

    Noticeably different from others; distinctive.

    Examples:

    "Olga's voice is quite distinct because of her accent."

  4. Distinct as an adjective:

    Separate in place; not conjunct or united; with from.

  5. Distinct as an adjective (obsolete):

    Distinguished; having the difference marked; separated by a visible sign; marked out; specified.

  6. Distinct as an adjective (obsolete):

    Marked; variegated.

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