cachet

noun

ca·chet | \ ka-ˈshā

Definition of cachet

1a : a seal used especially as a mark of official approval

b : an indication of approval carrying great prestige The president placed his cachet on the project.

2a : a characteristic feature or quality conferring prestige regarded the possession of real estate as a cachet of respectability

b : prestige being rich … doesn't have the cachet it used to— Truman Capote

3 : a medicinal preparation for swallowing consisting of a case usually of rice-flour paste enclosing a medicine

4a : a design or inscription on an envelope to commemorate a postal or philatelic event

b : an advertisement forming part of a postage meter impression

c : a motto or slogan included in a postal cancellation (see cancellation sense 3)

How do you pronounce cachet? More Example Sentences Learn More about cachet

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How do you pronounce cachet?

Two words in English that share a common French root also have important differences in pronunciation and meaning.

Cache means “a place where things are hidden,” a meaning that entered English in the 1700s. It can also mean cache memory, or “a part of a computer’s memory where information is kept so that the computer can find it very quickly.” This word is pronounced \CASH\.

Cachet has several meanings. It can mean “prestige,” “medicine prepared so that it can be swallowed,” or “an official seal,” the oldest meaning of the word in English, first used in the 1600s. It is pronounced \cash-AY\.

Both words derive from the French verb cacher (“to hide”), which is pronounced \cash-AY\. In French, cache is pronounced \CASH\—just as in English. The adjective “hidden” in French is spelled with an accent mark on the e—caché—and is pronounced \cash-AY\. The e without accent mark is silent.

Examples of cachet in a Sentence

a movie director with great artistic cachet His research in Antarctica gave him a certain cachet among other scientists.

Recent Examples on the Web

However, Assume Form also gave us collaborations with the likes of Metro Boomin, Travis Scott and Rosalía, reflecting Blake’s cachet in the hip-hop and R&B orbit. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "The 32 Best Dance Songs of 2019 (So Far): Staff Picks," 27 June 2019 And Narragansett’s cachet certainly extends beyond quaint Northeastern towns. — Kate Mooney, Vox, "Why so many beers have retro-looking cans," 21 June 2019 The cachet of a restaurant getting a Michelin star can’t be overstated. — Michele Parente, San Diego Union-Tribune, "San Diego joins dining elite as first Michelin star goes to Addison," 3 June 2019 Behind the scenes, Emmy-winning creator David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal, The Practice) and Oscar-nominated director Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club, Wild) upped its cultural cachet. — Judy Berman, Time, "With Meryl Streep on Big Little Lies, It's Time to Admit That Film and TV Are Converging," 6 June 2019 While a few at the top have maintained their cultural cachet, many once-thriving fests like Sasquatch! — Michael Rietmulder, The Seattle Times, "Brandi Carlile and ODESZA look to break megafest mold with Mexico getaway concerts," 22 Jan. 2019 Of course, that much cachet has always come with a pretty hefty price tag (not to mention trade-only availability)—that is, until now. — Emma Bazilian, House Beautiful, "Get Ready to Obsess Over The Inside's Just-Announced Scalamandré Collaboration," 14 Feb. 2019 Old styles, labels, and symbols will be resuscitated in a bid to restore the cachet that Ralph Lauren once enjoyed. — Bloomberg.com, "+1 212 318 2000," 2 Feb. 2018 And for many, that’s the cachet: rubbing elbows with other equally wealthy people who may have shared interests or present a business opportunity. — Paul Sullivan, New York Times, "From Super Bowl to David Bowie, V.I.P. Treatment Awaits," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cachet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.