prestigious
adjective
-ˈstē-
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
Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 1 Mar. 2025
Her most recent book was poised to receive a prestigious award last year from a Native American and Indigenous studies association.
—Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2025
The Gates Cambridge Scholarships are among the most prestigious awards for postgraduate study in the world.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
She was given the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in English), a prestigious French honor that recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts and literature.
—Mikelle Street, WWD, 28 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Prestigious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prestigious. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
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