prestigious

adjective

pres·ti·gious pre-ˈsti-jəs

-ˈstē-

also prə-

Synonyms of prestigious next

: having prestige : honored

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.

Recently, Brown was honored with the prestigious Pete Born Impact Award at WWD’s annual Beauty Inc Awards, a testament to her lasting impact on the beauty industry. —

Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 12 Dec. 2024 Her zeal for fashion was even hands-on during runway shows — although that tactile approach was always done with impeccable manners that were no doubt gleaned during her schoolgirl years at the prestigious Miss Porter’s School. —

Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 12 Dec. 2024 Mangione attended the prestigious, all-boys K-12 Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated in 2016 as the valedictorian. —

Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024 Jason serves on numerous prestigious boards, including the American Club Association Executive Club, the Leigh Steinberg Sports Academy Board of Directors and sits on the Fast Company Executive Board. —

Grace Butler, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prestigious