prestigious

adjective

pres·​ti·​gious pre-ˈsti-jəs How to pronounce prestigious (audio) -ˈstē- How to pronounce prestigious (audio)
 also  prə-
1
: having prestige : honored
2
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 She’s represented by the prestigious Gagosian Gallery, and her work has been collected by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Tate, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024 The Alexander McQueen show, located at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, a prestigious art school in Paris, was a spectacle. Rhonda Richford, WWD, 2 Oct. 2024 Hosted at the prestigious Palazzo Bovara, Artistar Jewels has become an international reference point for artistic and contemporary jewelry designers, with over 230 artists showing their work this year. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 Amid the prestigious awards received and critical acclaim amassed, the Emmy winner has remained humble throughout her success and attributed her mom and dad for keeping her grounded. Skyler Caruso, People.com, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prestigious 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prestigious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin praestigiosus, from praestigiae

First Known Use

1546, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of prestigious was in 1546

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near prestigious

Cite this Entry

“Prestigious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prestigious. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

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