To see someone or something as different from others. To see someone or something clearly or distinctly. To make oneself noticeably different or better from others through accomplishments. (transitive, obsolete) To make to differ.

distinct (third-person singular simple present distincts, present participle distincting, simple past and past participle distincted) (obsolete, transitive) To distinguish; to make a distinction.

The earliest known use of the verb distinct is in the Middle English period (1150—1500). OED's earliest evidence for distinct is from 1303, in the writing of Robert Mannyng, poet and historian. distinct is a borrowing from French. Etymons: French distincter.