prestigious
adjective
-ˈstē-
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
ABC News, 4 June 2026
Huarte, a junior who is committed to USC, became the first player from Mater Dei to win the boys singles championship at The Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament, one of the most prestigious events in the nation.
—Richard Dunn, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
Fleming, a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer, is best known for her performances in some of the world's most prestigious opera houses.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 4 June 2026
But those dynamics were considered part of the price of having the most prestigious news program on television.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for prestigious
Cite this Entry
“Prestigious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prestigious. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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