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

The brand had more cachet among business buyers than rival companies such as Radio Shack or Apple. — Benj Edwards, PCWorld, "Birth of a standard: The Intel 8086 microprocessor turns 40 today," 8 June 2018 His would-be successors are spending all that money on an office that has an annual budget of $1.5 million, a staff of seven and little cachet. — Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘Lite Guv’ no more: California candidates spending millions for a job that gets no respect," 16 May 2018 For generations private resort clubs have been a slice of paradise and cachet for those blessed with the funds and connections to be accepted for membership. — Christopher Mason, Town & Country, "The Evolution of the Private Vacation Club," 17 Oct. 2016 When women started coming out about Weinstein, many of those women had a certain celebrity cachet. — Karen Turner, Vox, "Eden Tirl says Bill Cosby harassed her. She wonders why Hollywood didn’t care before #MeToo.," 26 Apr. 2018 Magnus August Hoiberg, retains his cachet, though, mostly thanks to his genreless taste and ability to give pop’s biggest trends some edge. — New York Times, "13 Pop, Rock and Jazz Concerts to Check Out in N.Y.C. This Weekend," 28 June 2018 As the chef behind Willow Grove’s vegan Horizons Cafe, Landau had for years longed for the cachet signaled by a table without salt and pepper. — Allison Steele, Philly.com, "Why salt shakers disappeared from restaurant tables," 27 June 2018 Once the site of Princess Grace Kelly’s summer home, this property has a lot of cachet. — Shannon Rooney, Philly.com, "Shore Envy: Seaside getaways in Ocean City, N.J.," 9 July 2018 Besides being poised to succeed Straus, who brought an added level of cachet to the district, Allison said his maturity, age and experience could help his effectiveness in his first term. — Josh Baugh, San Antonio Express-News, "Allison trounces Beebe to win GOP nod in District 121," 22 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.