The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word INDIVIDUAL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
I
N
D
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V
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More clues leading to the result INDIVIDUAL
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Distinctive/person" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case distinctive/person = individual.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does INDIVIDUAL mean?
INDIVIDUAL noun- A person considered alone, rather than as belonging to a group of people.
- A single physical human being as a legal subject, as opposed to a legal person such as a corporation.
- An object, be it a thing or an agent, as contrasted to a class.
- An element belonging to a population.
- Relating to a single person or thing as opposed to more than one.
- Intended for a single person as opposed to more than one person.
- Not divisible without losing its identity.