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

All of those things had cachet, and none necessarily more so than the others. — Julia Felsenthal, Vogue, "Matt Tyrnauer’s New Documentary, Studio 54, Takes On the Rise, Fall, and Last Days of Disco," 4 Oct. 2018 Yet, somewhat suddenly, a string of buzzy hostels have emerged to snatch cachet from hotels: the Generator group, the Freehand group, Singapore’s Shophouse, and Clink in the U.K. and Holland. — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "How Hostels Became Poshtels: The Remaking of a Backpacker's Hangout," 12 Sep. 2018 Sure, the translucent navy blue casing seemed pretty cool to look at, and the limited run of 50,000 units gives the unit a collectible cachet. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Unboxing Sony’s “500 Million Limited Edition PS4 Pro”," 21 Aug. 2018 And, the university’s involvement can add cachet to the property in some instances. — Shari Rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "These donors love their alma maters so much they gave them the roofs over their heads," 13 July 2018 Getting baseball's LeBron in it would add immeasurable cachet. — Scott Boeck, USA TODAY, "MLB's Home Run Derby: Five players we'd like to see in the event," 11 July 2018 As with the Ricketts venture, the partnership with Live Nation adds cachet to a sprawling development that has yet to announce any office or retail tenants. — Ryan Ori, chicagotribune.com, "Live Nation to help develop Lincoln Yards entertainment district on North Side," 17 May 2018 In Jay-Z, though, the brand’s found a tested veteran and Hall of Fame rapper who brings cachet to potential signees and customers. — Cam Wolf, GQ, "Jay-Z Named Head of Puma’s Relaunched Basketball Division," 19 June 2018 And in the case of Jeeps, worldwide as the name carries considerable cachet. — Ed Wallace, star-telegram, "The Future is Now," 8 June 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.