1
as in imposing
having or showing a formal and serious or reserved manner
heads turned as the well-dressed, distinguished couple strode through the hotel lobby
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in outstanding
standing above others in rank, importance, or achievement
a distinguished astronomer who is widely respected in the field
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in differentiated
to understand or point out the difference in
even at such a young age, he could distinguish the calls of various birds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in characterized
to be an important feature of
a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in identified
to find out or establish the identity of
learned at an early age to distinguish the sound of a piano in an orchestra
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in noticed
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
could barely distinguish the garden gate through the mist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in classified
to arrange or assign according to type
on the exam we were asked to distinguish the specimens by acidity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinguished
Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
In heralding the occasion with this exclusive interview, the always engaging historian adds a distinguished grace note to the retrospective tone of City & Shore magazine’s 25th Anniversary Issue.
—Greg Carannante, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2026
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
For Bransten, who has experience across retail, fashion, and enterprise technology, Ralph Lauren’s clarity of vision distinguished them from their peers.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguished
Adjective
From inventing luxury vehicles to being the birthplace of some of the most influential musicians and philosophers in the world, Germany has long been a bastion of distinguished culture.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
In heralding the occasion with this exclusive interview, the always engaging historian adds a distinguished grace note to the retrospective tone of City & Shore magazine’s 25th Anniversary Issue.
—Greg Carannante, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2026
Verb
This lack of data is partly because most breast cancer trials have not historically distinguished between lobular and ductal subtypes, as Roy explained.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
For Bransten, who has experience across retail, fashion, and enterprise technology, Ralph Lauren’s clarity of vision distinguished them from their peers.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distinguished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinguished
Adjective
-
The team had already excavated the other three corners of a narrow tomb occupied by an imposing, unnamed sarcophagus.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Dec. 2025
-
The most imposing building on Main Street is a gun shop called Chandler’s Firearms Estates, on the corner of East Church Street.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Directors Guild of America has named the nominees for its 2025 awards in the outstanding directorial achievement in television, commercials and documentary categories.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The Hollywood Reporter snagged a nomination again for outstanding magazine overall coverage in a list that also includes The Advocate, Cosmo, Gaye Magazine, Out, People, Poz, Rolling Stone, Time and Variety.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Apple has differentiated itself within megacap tech with a more conservative approach to artificial intelligence spending.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The low-cut vamp differentiated itself from the traditional pump aesthetic with an angular square outline.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Steering away from the Banda music that has characterized her sound and biggest hits, the Mexican-American singer experiments with reggae, R&B, and folk cumbia on this eight-track set that also includes powerful audio affirmations by the singer.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The two-hour-plus interview was characterized by Carlson’s failure to directly challenge Fuentes’s points.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Several recent victims were identified as Chipri Chimpi from the village of Sialjod, 40-year-old Prakash Das, and a minor boy.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
-
She has not yet been identified.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But when testing the bespoke shots in animals, Grippin noticed that even the placebo shots — which contained mRNA entirely unrelated to the cancer — also activated the immune system to kill tumors.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
-
And it certainly can be noticed, both in its abundance, and in the case of the Warriors’ 129-104 shellacking on Friday night at the hands of the Nuggets in an Emirates Cup group stage matchup, in its absence.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In 2019, officers went to the home twice while their son Nick was living there — once for a call coded as a welfare check and once for a call classified as mental health–related.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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The Justice Department issued a warrant to seize the ship over its sanctions violations for transporting oil on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is classified as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the State Department.—
Ashley Carnahan , Jennifer Griffin , Lucas Y. Tomlinson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
His mother’s dignified stoicism, her heroic ability to stomach pain and disappointment, and her crusade for a life of sacrifice and virtue, forever burn inside Nixon — but so does an insatiable desire to be loved and respected and the acrid taste of social rejection from an early age.—
Tim Greiving,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Dec. 2025
-
While so many aspects of air travel are out of your control, there are ways to make flying more comfortable, dignified, and even…fun.—
Katie Way,
SELF,
19 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distinguished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinguished. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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