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
Angelique Jackson, Variety, 12 May 2025
Relationships with prestigious cellars lead to special bottle acquisitions.
—Melinda Sheckells, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
The team has permitted Derice, a two-time winner of the prestigious BART scouting award, a chance to pursue new opportunities, according to Neil Stratton of Inside The League.
—Pat Leonard, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2025
With two Intercontinental titles, the United States Championship, and the prestigious Undisputed WWE Championship all up for grabs, plus a special attraction match featuring Pat McAfee, this card is stacked from top to bottom.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prestigious
Cite this Entry
“Prestigious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prestigious. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
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