Meaning & use
distinguished gentlemen
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Meaning
nounpluralformalold-fashioned
A group of men who are respected and admired, often used as a formal form of address.
Grammar: Always plural; the singular is 'distinguished gentleman'. Used mainly in formal speeches or writing.
Patterns
- distinguished gentlemen
- ladies and distinguished gentlemen
- a group of distinguished gentlemen
Ladies and distinguished gentlemen, welcome to the award ceremony.
The board was made up of distinguished gentlemen from the worlds of law and medicine.
He addressed the audience as 'distinguished gentlemen' before beginning his speech.
Word forms
| singular | distinguished gentleman |
|---|
Common combinations
- ladies and distinguished gentlemen
- Ladies and distinguished gentlemen, please take your seats.
- a group of distinguished gentlemen
- A group of distinguished gentlemen gathered for the charity dinner.
- address someone as distinguished gentlemen
- The speaker addressed the crowd as distinguished gentlemen.
Synonyms and how they differ
- honored guests
- More general and modern; does not specify men and is used for any respected group.
- respected gentlemen
- Similar meaning but less formal and less common in speeches.
Word family
- distinguished adjective
- Respected and admired for achievements.
- gentleman noun
- A polite word for a man, often one with good manners.
Commonly confused: distinguished gentlemen or distinguishing gentlemen?
distinguished gentlemen vs distinguishing gentlemen
'Distinguishing' means making someone or something different; 'distinguished' means respected and admired.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'distinguished gentlemen' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Thank you for coming' is the correct pattern. The other options use wrong verb forms after 'for'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “distinguished gentlemen”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.