distinctive āļāļ·āļāļāļ°āđāļĢ distinctive āļāļ·āļāļāļ°āđāļĢ Serving to identify; distinguishing: distinctive tribal tattoos. See Usage Note at distinct.Characteristic or typical: "Jerusalem has a distinctive Middle East flavorâ ( Curtis Wilkie). Linguistics Phonemically relevant and capable of conveying a difference in meaning, as nasalization in the initial sound of mat versus bat.