prestige
Americannoun
-
reputation or influence arising from success, achievement, rank, or other favorable attributes.
- Synonyms:
- importance, weight
- Antonyms:
- disrepute
-
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.
adjective
noun
-
high status or reputation achieved through success, influence, wealth, etc; renown
-
-
the power to influence or impress; glamour
-
( modifier )
a prestige car
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Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing prestige
Trumps
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This Week in Pop Culture: January 26 - February 1, 2019
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Achievement First 7th Grade IA 1 Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It buys prestige, photographs, the roar that drowns out everything the host would rather you not hear.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
Millions of young people end up competing for the stability and prestige of a small number of government positions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
But many economists say India has always treated currency depreciation not merely as an economic adjustment, but as a matter of national prestige.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
“True Detective” and “Slow Horses” have been mentioned as inspirations for the series, which boasts both prestige TV and comic book bona fides in creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
“You also have the prestige of being a former spy.”
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
