distinction vs esteem

distinction

noun
  • Specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished. 

  • 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. 

esteem

noun
  • Favourable regard. 

verb
  • To regard something as valuable; to prize. 

  • To look upon something in a particular way. 

  • To set a high value on; to regard with respect or reverence. 

How often have the words distinction and esteem occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )