prestige

American  

[pre-steezh, -steej] / prɛˈstiʒ, -ˈstidʒ /

noun

1. reputation or influence arising from success, achievement, rank, or other favorable attributes.

   Synonyms:

   importance, weight

   Antonyms:

   disrepute

2. distinction or reputation attaching to a person or thing and thus possessing a cachet for others or for the public.

   The new discothèque has great prestige with the jet set.

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adjective

1. having or showing success, rank, wealth, etc.

prestige British  

/ prɛˈstiːʒ /

noun

1. high status or reputation achieved through success, influence, wealth, etc; renown

2. 1. the power to influence or impress; glamour

   2. ( modifier )

      a prestige car

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Other Word Forms

• prestigeful
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of prestige

First recorded in 1650–60, for an earlier sense; from French (originally plural): “deceits, delusions, juggler's tricks,” from Latin praestīgiae “juggler's tricks,” variant of praestrīgiae, derivative of praestringere “to blind, blunt,” literally, “to bind hard, tie up,” from prae- pre- + stringere “to draw tight” ( see stringent)

Explanation

People, cars, schools, clubs, banks––all can be said to have prestige. Star in a blockbuster movie? Your prestige level just shot up. Make a really bad faux pas? Your prestige just went down. When something has prestige it is said to be prestigious. Often this is applied to colleges –– "After earning straight As and lettering in three Varsity sports, Vivian had her choice among prestigious universities." To remember this word, think about pres- — people or things with prestige often are covered by the press.

Example Sentences

But even they came around faster than the burgeoning class of prestige TV era viewers who couldn’t fathom that the new “Battlestar” could be as culturally resonant as, say, “The Sopranos” or “The Wire.”

From Salon • May 5, 2026

Sales in Coty’s prestige business, which includes brands such as Kylie Cosmetics and fragrances by Gucci and Marc Jacobs, were flat at $830.9 million.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Universities have also tied prestige and funding to publishing metrics: grant dollars, rankings, and internal performance systems for researchers all depend on churning out work.

From Slate • May 3, 2026

This spring has felt a lot lighter than previous years in terms of big-name, prestige streaming shows, as studios’ budget cuts and industry consolidation take their toll.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

“Something novel, original, daring and unique must be designed and built if American engineers are to retain their prestige and standing.”

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• cachet
• dignity
• esteem
• importance
• power
• prominence
• reputation
• standing
• stature
• status
• weight