Distinction vs Contrariety - What's the difference?
distinction | contrariety | Related terms |
That which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination.
The act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination.
* {{quote-book, year=1921, title=
, author=(Bertrand Russell), chapter=Lecture II
, passage=In spite of these qualifications, the broad distinction between instinct and habit is undeniable. To take extreme cases, every animal at birth can take food by instinct, before it has had opportunity to learn; on the other hand, no one can ride a bicycle by instinct, though, after learning, the necessary movements become just as automatic as if they were instinctive.}}
* {{quote-book, year=1911, title=
, chapter=Evidence
, passage=But, for practical purposes, it is possible to draw a distinction between a statement of facts observed and an expression of opinion as to the inference to be drawn from these facts, and the rule telling witnesses to state facts and not express opinions is of great value in keeping their statements out of the region of argument and conjecture.}}
Specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished.
* {{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers), title=(A Cuckoo in the Nest)
, chapter=2 * 2013 , Daniel Taylor, Steven Gerrard goal against Poland ensures England will go to World Cup'' (in ''The Guardian , 15 October 2013)[http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/15/england-poland-world-cup-qualifier]
Opposition or contrariness; cross-purposes, marked contrast.
*, II.12:
*:What differences of sense and reason, what contrarietie of imaginations doth the diversitie of our passions present unto us?
* 1759 , (Laurence Sterne), The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman , Penguin 2003, p.61:
*:This contrariety of humours betwixt my father and my uncle, was the source of many a fraternal squabble.
* 1883 , (Robert Louis Stevenson), (Treasure Island) :
*:The wind blowing steady and gentle from the south, thee was no contrariety between that and the current, and the billows rose and fell unbroken.
*2011 , Tim Blanning, "The reinvention of the night", Times Literary Supplement , 21 Sep.:
*:At the heart of his argument is the contrariety between day and night, light and dark.
Distinction is a related term of contrariety.
As nouns the difference between distinction and contrariety
is that distinction is that which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination while contrariety is opposition or contrariness; cross-purposes, marked contrast.distinction
English
Noun
(en noun)citation, passage=Mother
- Leighton Baines, playing with distinction again, sent over a left-wing cross with pace and accuracy. Welbeck, prominently involved all night, could not reach it but Rooney was directly behind him, flashing his header past Szczesny.