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distinguish
Synonyms:

difference, differentiate, discern, discriminate, secern, separate.

Antonyms:

confuse, mistake, mix (up).

Related Words:

admire, analyze, categorize, characterize, detect, determine, differentiate, discover, divide, identify, know, notice, perceive, qualify, read, recognize, see. 

Related Phrase:

figure out.

Synonym Study (Dictionary.com):

Distinguish, differentiate, and discriminate suggest an attempt to analyze characteristic features or qualities of things. 

To distinguish is to recognize the characteristic features belonging to a thing: 
to distinguish a light cruiser from a heavy cruiser. 

To discriminate is to perceive the particular, nice, or exact differences between things, to determine wherein these differences consist, and to estimate their significance: 
to discriminate prejudiced from unprejudiced testimony. 

To differentiate is to point out exactly and in detail the differences between (usually) two things: 
The symptoms of both diseases are so similar that it is hard to differentiate one from another.

Origin:

1555–65; extension, by -ish2, of Middle English disting(u)en (<Anglo-French, Middle French distinguer ) <Latin distinguere; see distinct. British dictionary: C16: from Latin distinguere to separate, discriminate. —Dictionary.com. // 

First Known Use of distinguish: 15th century. History and Etymology for distinguish: alteration of Middle English distinguen, from Anglo-French distinguer, from Latin distinguere, literally, to separate by pricking, from dis- + -stinguere (akin to Latin instigare to urge on) — more at stick. —Merriam-Webster.

Sources: 1, 2.

Added: 4 September 2020 {9:22 PM}
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