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

See Examples For:

prestige

"Not all AI platforms today exude super intelligence", said computer scientist Kokil Jaidka, adding that the new name "borrows the prestige of a term researchers reserve for a much bigger leap".

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

This fetishism straddles the worlds of high-end products and high-end art, both realms where wait lists are common, and connections and prestige are just as important as currency itself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

In this corner, the reigning heavyweight champ: a version of every Oscar-baiting, prestige movie you’ve ever seen.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

This year there are fewer obvious awards heavyweights in the mix, at a time when prestige and independent films have become harder to finance, distribute and sell to audiences.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

For classical music as a whole, the 1920s were marked by deep fissures in the previously unchallenged prestige of Western ‘art’ music.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

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