- 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.
That was the main differential, according to him, that distinguished these two cases.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
RVs weren’t distinguished in the numbers, but at least two major operations removed RV encampments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Before joining OpenAI, Malone was a distinguished engineer at Meta, where he led the firm’s data-center strategy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Acanthosaura syrax belongs to a group of agamid lizards known as mountain horned dragons, which are distinguished by the spiny crests that extend along the neck and back.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
The Tribune said Root was “easily” Chicago’s “most distinguished architect, if indeed he had his superior in the whole country.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions 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.
