Standard Lemma guide

distinguished

adj · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /dɪˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪʃt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S T IH1 NG G W IH0 SH T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Celebrated, well-known or eminent because of achievements or rank; prestigious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The lecture was attended by many distinguished mathematicians.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: eminent, exceptional, remarkable, bait, fabled, famed, famous, famoused, iconic, irrecondite, known, legendary, mere, notable, noted, noteworthy, proverbial, recognizable, renowned, storied, well-known, illustrious, distinguished, forestanding, markworthy, mentionable, nameable, namely, nameworthy, sensational, extraordinaire, noticeable, observable, outstanding, pass-remarkable, ponderable, prominent, signal, sovereign, admired, applauded, blessed, esteemed, feared, gloriful, glorious, honoured, priceless, reputable, respected, revered, sacred, treasured, valued, venerated, well-regarded, worthy

Antonyms: despised, disrespected, mediocre

2

adj

Meaning 2

Having a dignified appearance or demeanor.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Her father was a distinguished gentleman, albeit a poor one.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: grand, imposing, sophisticated

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Specified, noted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • Let X be a topological space with a distinguished point p.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

simple past and past participle of distinguish

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

used of a person's appearance or behavior; befitting an eminent person

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his distinguished bearing
  • the monarch's imposing presence
  • she reigned in magisterial beauty

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: grand, imposing, magisterial

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • our distinguished professor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From distinguish + -ed.

Across languages

Translations

72 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مُمَيَّز (mumayyaz) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Arabic: مُمْتَاز (mumtāz) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Arabic: بَارِز (bāriz) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Arabic: شَهِير (šahīr) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Bulgarian: виден (viden) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Bulgarian: изтъкнат (iztǎknat) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Catalan: distingit — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Cherokee: ᎠᏥᎸᏉᏗ (atsilvquodi) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Chinese Mandarin: 卓著 (zhuózhù) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Chinese Mandarin: 顯赫 /显赫 (xiǎnhè) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Chinese Mandarin: 卓越 (zhuóyuè) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Czech: význačný — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Czech: vynikající — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Czech: uznávaný — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Danish: anset — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Danish: fremtrædende — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Dutch: voortreffelijk — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Dutch: eminent — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Dutch: voornaam — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Finnish: tunnettu — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Finnish: arvostettu — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • French: distingué — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Galician: distinguido — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • German: bedeutend — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • German: hervorragend — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Ancient Greek: ὑπέροχος (hupérokhos) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Hindi: विशिष्ट (viśiṣṭ) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Italian: emerito — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Italian: distinto — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Japanese: 非凡な (hibon na) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Japanese: 特異な (tokui na) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Japanese: 傑出した (kesshutsu shita) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Latin: ēgregius — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Latin: amplus — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Latin: notātus — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Malayalam: വിശിഷ്ട (viśiṣṭa) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Māori: taiea — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Māori: kairangatira — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Māori: ahurei — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Māori: matararahi — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Māori: amaru — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Polish: wybitny — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Portuguese: distinto — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Romanian: distinct — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Russian: ви́дный (vídnyj) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Russian: выдаю́щийся (vydajúščijsja) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Russian: имени́тый (imenítyj) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Sanskrit: प्रभव (prabhava) — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Scottish Gaelic: cliùiteach — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Spanish: distinguido — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Tocharian B: ṣotarye — celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
  • Arabic: أَنِيق (ʔanīq) — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • Catalan: distingit — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • Chinese Mandarin: 儀表堂堂 /仪表堂堂 (yíbiǎo tángtáng) — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • Chinese Mandarin: 雍容華貴 /雍容华贵 — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • Danish: distingveret — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • Finnish: kunnianarvoisa — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • French: distingué — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • German: vornehm — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • German: distinguiert — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • Māori: amaru — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • Māori: taiea — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fornem — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • Polish: dystyngowany — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • Romanian: distinct — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • Spanish: distinguido — having a dignified appearance or demeanor
  • Chinese Mandarin: 特殊的 (tèshū de) — mathematics: specified, noted
  • Chinese Mandarin: 標誌的 /标志的 (biāozhì de) — mathematics: specified, noted
  • Finnish: erikois- — mathematics: specified, noted
  • Italian: distinto — mathematics: specified, noted
  • Polish: wyróżniony — mathematics: specified, noted
  • Russian: за́данный (zádannyj) — mathematics: specified, noted
Real reading context

distinguished in complete knowledge articles

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