(1) In Open System Interface (OSI), a multipart hierarchical name that can be used to identify OSI objects globally. The distinguished name of an object is formed from the sequence of its relative distinguished names (RDNs) and the name of its superior object.
(2) The name that uniquely identifies an entry in a directory. A distinguished name is made up of attribute:value pairs, separated by commas.
(3) A set of name-value pairs (such as CN=person's name and C=country or region) that uniquely identifies an entity in a digital certificate.