Noun

(en noun)

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 citation , passage=Mother

* 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]

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.

Noun

(identities)

Sameness, identicalness; the quality or fact of (several specified things) being the same.

* 1997 , Hydrothermal Vent Fauna'', in ''Advances in Marine Biology: The Biogeography of the Oceans , page 111:

The difference or character that marks off an individual from the rest of the same kind, selfhood.

*

A name or persona—the mask or appearance one presents to the world—by which one is known.

This criminal has taken on several identities .

Sense of who one is.

I've been through so many changes, I have no sense of identity .

This nation has a strong identity .

(algebra, computing) Any function which maps all elements of its domain to themselves.

(algebra) An element of an algebraic structure which, when applied to another element under an operation in that structure, yields this, second element.