- past tense form of distinguish.
- past participle of distinguish.
distinguished
Americanadjective
-
made conspicuous by excellence; noted; eminent; famous.
a distinguished scholar.
- Synonyms:
- illustrious, renowned
-
having an air of distinction, dignity, or eminence.
a distinguished old gentleman.
adjective
-
noble or dignified in appearance or behaviour
-
eminent; famous; celebrated
Synonym Usage
See famous.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of distinguished
First recorded in 1700–10; distinguish + -ed 2
Explanation
Being distinguished is a good thing: it implies good behavior, sharp dress, and an excellent reputation. Distinguished people are respected. When we say someone is distinguished, we're expressing respect for them. Usually, someone distinguished is older: distinguished people are wise, accomplished, and professional-looking — and usually have an impressive reputation to match. A teenager can't really be distinguished. They're too young to look the part, and they haven't done enough to earn the title. We admire people who are distinguished.
Vocabulary lists containing distinguished
"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
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And Then There Were None
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 14–18
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They distinguished themselves by bringing a cholera epidemic in a temporary prison at the paediatric hospital under control and were subsequently taken to Saudi Hospital.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
“CEOs increasingly need technology to create strategic freedom: the ability to enter markets, reshape offerings, reconfigure operations and respond to disruption faster than competitors,” said David Furlonger, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
“This is potentially more of a swan song for Xavier Becerra, the icing on the cake for a long and distinguished political career, and for Gavin Newsom, it was a stepping stone,” Rosales said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
Zacharia, in a post on X, thanked Trump for the "distinguished privilege of serving as White House Press Secretary."
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Root gave much of the credit for her success to William, noting that she had both “the services of her distinguished husband” and his “secret methods of solving ciphers.”
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
