1. (used of persons) standing above others in character, attainment or reputation
   "our distinguished professor"
    
2. Used of a person's appearance or behaviour; befitting an eminent person
   "his distinguished bearing";
   - grand, imposing, magisterial

1. Detect or identify something despite difficulty or distance
   "I could barely distinguish the ship through the fog";
   - spot, recognize, recognise [Brit], discern, pick out, make out
    
2. Make or perceive a clear distinction between
   "We distinguish several kinds of maple";
   - separate, differentiate, secern [rare], severalize [rare], severalise [Brit, rare], tell apart
    
3. Be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense
   "His modesty distinguishes him from his peers";
   - mark, differentiate
    
4. Classify or apply the appropriate name to, e.g. in botany or biology
   "The botanist distinguished the new plant species";
   - identify, discover, key, key out, describe, name
    
5. Make conspicuous or noteworthy
   "Her actions distinguished her as a leader";
   - signalize, signalise [Brit]

See also: dignified, important, of import

Type of: characterise [Brit], characterize, detect, determine, discover, find, finger [informal], identify, mark, notice, observe, place, qualify, set

Encyclopedia: Distinguished