Definition of PRESTIGIOUSNESS

Did You Know?

You may be surprised to learn that "prestigious" had more to do with trickery than with respect when it was first used in 1546. The earliest (now archaic) meaning of the word was "of, relating to, or marked by illusion, conjuring, or trickery." "Prestigious" comes to us from the Latin word praestigiosis, meaning "full of tricks" or "deceitful." The words "prestige" and "prestigious" are related, of course, though not as directly as you might think; they share a Latin ancestor, but they entered English by different routes. "Prestige," which was borrowed from French in 1656, initially meant "a conjurer's trick," but in the 19th century it developed an extended sense of "blinding or dazzling influence." That change in turn influenced "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

Since its inception five years ago, Formula E has been at the forefront of promoting green travel, and some of the world's most prestigious manufacturers have joined the rapidly growing series. — Ben Church, CNN, "Formula E: Mercedes-Benz and Porsche to join new championship," 15 June 2019 Mozzi accompanied Beatrice to the prestigious event at St. James's Palace, and was photographed chatting with attendees. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi Attend an Event at St. James’s Palace," 14 June 2019 Cummins is currently the Executive Chef at one of the hottest restaurants in Barbados, Tapestry, and recently made history as the youngest executive chef from the island to have the privilege of cooking at the prestigious James Beard House. — Danielle Pointdujour, Essence, "Chef Javon Cummins Puts The Flavors Of Barbados On A Global Stage," 14 June 2019 One of his most prestigious records being 20+ goals scored for five successive seasons, which was unrivalled by other top midfielders of the same generation. — SI.com, "Frank Lampard: On This Day the Legendary Midfielder Signed for Chelsea," 14 June 2019 Six years later, Mauricio has earned his degree from the prestigious Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. — Washington Post, "‘The American Dream — except it’s real’: Student who immigrated from Mexico heads to Ivy League," 13 June 2019 His work has been featured in scientific studies with prestigious organizations such as the Mayo Clinic and the Waitt Foundation, and he is currently represented by the National Geographic Image Collection. — National Geographic, "Andy Bardon," 12 June 2019 Six years later, Mauricio earned his high school diploma from the prestigious Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. — Talia Richman, baltimoresun.com, "'The American dream — except it's real': Baltimore student who immigrated from Mexico heads to Ivy League," 12 June 2019 The American Shakespeare Theatre was built in 1955, created by a prestigious group of professionals with private funding. — Tess Vrbin, courant.com, "Stratford is crowdfunding to rebuild the American Shakespeare Theatre — starting with an arts and culture festival," 12 June 2019

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