Distinguished, elegant, or refined in appearance or manner; having an air of social superiority or aristocratic quality.
Directly from French 'distingué' (past participle of 'distinguer' meaning 'to distinguish'), borrowed into English to describe someone noticeably refined or elegant.
French borrowed words like 'distingué,' 'résumé,' and 'naïve' add a fancy flavor to English because they let us say someone is snobbish without being unkind—the French word sounds sophisticated while the English would sound mean!
From French 'distingué,' this adjective entered English as a marker of elegant refinement. In 19th-century usage, it was disproportionately applied to women of social standing, often implying grooming/appearance rather than intellectual distinction granted to men.
Use to describe refined bearing or manner for any person. Avoid using it to emphasize appearance-based distinction, especially when referring to women in professional contexts.
["refined","sophisticated","distinguished","elegant"]
The gendered application of 'distingué' to describe women's appearance while men earned 'distinguished' for intellect reflects historical erasure of women's intellectual and professional achievements.
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