Distingeren

Distingeren is a Dutch verb that means to distinguish: to recognize differences between things or to separate one thing from another. It can refer to a cognitive process of perceiving and judging differences, as well as to the act of marking or classifying something as different. In reflexive use, zich onderscheiden means to stand out or to be notable for particular qualities or achievements.

Etymology and usage context: the word distinguishes itself as a loan from French distinguer, which in turn derives from Latin distinguere, meaning to separate or mark off. In Dutch, distingeren is most common in formal, academic, or technical language, while in everyday speech people often prefer onderscheiden or het verschil maken.

Applications and examples: in everyday language one might say that we must onderscheid maken tussen feiten en meningen. In biology and taxonomy, distinguishing characteristics or diagnostic traits separate species. In statistics and data science, the concept appears as distinguishing features or the ability to discriminate between classes, such as a model that can distingeren between signal and noise. In cultural or social contexts, iemand kan zich onderscheiden door prestaties of stijl.

Related terms: distingeren is closely related to onderscheid (distinction), onderscheiden (to differentiate or to stand out), and discriminatie (discrimination). The sense of standing out can also convey positive achievement, while the general sense of differentiation emphasizes recognizing and labeling differences in a neutral or analytical way.

See also: onderscheid, onderscheiden, zich onderscheiden, discriminatie, discriminability.