This is the 14355th most frequent Russian word.
отличившиеся
"Distinguished" or "those who stood out."
Here, "отличившихся" describes students who stood out or showed noteworthy achievements.
Учитель поблагодарил отличившихся учеников за их старания.
The teacher thanked the distinguished students for their efforts.
In this sentence, "отличившимся" refers to volunteers who were notable for their contributions.
Организация вручила медали отличившимся добровольцам.
The organization awarded medals to the outstanding volunteers.
Here, "отличившихся" designates attendees who performed notably or were remarkable in the event.