simple past tense and past participle of distinguish
"The committee distinguished several key features in the report before approving the project."
In plain English: To distinguish means to tell two things apart because they are different from each other.
"He distinguished himself during the final match by scoring two crucial goals."
(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation
"our distinguished professor"
used of a person's appearance or behavior; befitting an eminent person
"his distinguished bearing"
"the monarch's imposing presence"
"she reigned in magisterial beauty"
celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements; prestigious
"The distinguished professor received a standing ovation after delivering her keynote speech on climate change."
In plain English: Distinguished means being very respected and admired because of your achievements or special qualities.
"The distinguished professor received applause from everyone in the hall."
Usage: Use distinguished to describe people who have earned high respect through significant accomplishments rather than those simply famous for popularity. This term often modifies titles like "guests," "professors," or "leaders" to emphasize their esteemed status within a specific field.
The word distinguished comes from combining the verb distinguish with the suffix -ed to form its past tense or participle version. It entered English as a standard grammatical construction rather than through borrowing from another language.