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distinguished

American  
[dih-sting-gwisht] / dɪˈstɪŋ gwɪʃt /

adjective

  1. made conspicuous by excellence; noted; eminent; famous.

    a distinguished scholar.

    Synonyms:
    illustrious, renowned
  2. having an air of distinction, dignity, or eminence.

    a distinguished old gentleman.

  3. conspicuous; marked.


distinguished British  
/ dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃt /

adjective

  1. noble or dignified in appearance or behaviour

  2. eminent; famous; celebrated

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See famous.

Other Word Forms

  • distinguishedly adverb
  • nondistinguished adjective
  • well-distinguished adjective

Etymology

Origin of distinguished

First recorded in 1700–10; distinguish + -ed 2

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.

“All of this will either rise or fall on effective disarmament,” said Daniel Shapiro, a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council and former U.S. ambassador to Israel under the Obama administration.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was not the only time Mr Mangione's distinguished eyebrows have come up.

From BBC

Both are distinguished by a depth and specificity of character, tested in the crucible of grief.

From The Wall Street Journal

The National Baseball Hall of Fame is peppered with players who finished long, distinguished careers by donning a Dodgers uniform, their performance dwindling as their age increased.

From Los Angeles Times

Their results showed that CA1 contains four continuous layers of nerve cells, each distinguished by its own pattern of active genes.

From Science Daily