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
Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Read: Conan O’Brien understood the assignment The comedian’s staunch love for the goofiest non sequiturs means he’s guaranteed to use them on even the most prestigious stage.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
The prestigious store first opened in 1963 and now has a feeling of chaotic emptiness.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 21 Mar. 2025
For example, most AI images of prestigious jobs will automatically feature White males.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 21 Mar. 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 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share