prestigious

adjective

pres·​ti·​gious pre-ˈsti-jəs How to pronounce prestigious (audio) -ˈstē- How to pronounce prestigious (audio)
 also  prə-
1
: having prestige : honored
2
archaic : of, relating to, or marked by illusion, conjuring, or trickery
prestigiously adverb
prestigiousness noun

Did you know?

You might expect, based on how adjectives are often formed in English, that today’s word is an extension of the noun prestige. However, although both words share the same Latin root, they entered English by different routes and at different times. Moreover, both adjective and noun once had more to do with trickery than respect when they were first used. Prestigious came directly from the Latin adjective praestigiosis, meaning “full of tricks” or “deceitful,” and had a similar meaning upon entering English in the mid-16th century. Praestigiosis in turn came from the plural noun praestigiae, meaning “conjurer’s tricks.” This noun also gave English the word prestige, though it first passed through French and arrived a century after prestigious. Though it wasn’t first on the block, prestige influenced prestigious in a different way, by eventually developing an extended sense of “standing or esteem.” That change spurred a similar development in prestigious, which now means simply “illustrious or esteemed.”

Examples of prestigious in a Sentence

a nutritional study that has been published by a prestigious medical journal the most prestigious social club in town
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Brutalist follows László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a prestigious Hungarian Jewish architect who relocates to America after surviving the Holocaust. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2025 To be invited to join the prestigious Edinburgh International Festival program this summer is an honor and a thrill. Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025 Although Sundance’s prestigious lineup used to be limited to movie lovers who could make the snowy January trek to Park City Utah, the fest now offers tickets for a large portion of eligible movies online. Abby Monteil, Them, 23 Jan. 2025 Prime Video has ordered a four-part docu-series on Blake Robbins, the Pennsylvania student who filed a lawsuit against his prestigious public school for allegedly spying on him when he was accused of selling drugs. Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for prestigious 

Word History

Etymology

Latin praestigiosus, from praestigiae

First Known Use

1546, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of prestigious was in 1546

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Dictionary Entries Near prestigious

Cite this Entry

“Prestigious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prestigious. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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