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
Nia Bowers, USA Today, 17 June 2025
With a social scene that is always one step ahead of residents, New Canaan may finally drop its prestigious reputation.
—Slade Logsdon, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2025
On this afternoon, the talented bassist — who is also the president of prestigious jazz label Blue Note Records — was leading his Pan Detroit Ensemble in a preview of the band’s forthcoming debut album, due out sometime this summer.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 16 June 2025
Boris Becker picked up £250,000 40 years ago in his first victory at the West London site.
John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Ivan Lendl, Lleyton Hewitt and Pete Sampras are just some of the other legendary holders of this prestigious pre-Wimbledon grass court event.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prestigious
Cite this Entry
“Prestigious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prestigious. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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