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.
By the end of the 2010s it had established itself as a serious prestige player thanks to best picture Oscar-winning “Moonlight.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
In the view of Hollywood Park, Inglewood welcomed the jobs, tax revenue, increased property values and heightened prestige for a decade, then walked away from the deal when the bills came due.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Faded stars could scrape out a second act in B-movies and lesser studio offerings without losing the prestige of the silver screen.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
The British number five was able to enter the Wuhan Open, one of the tournaments in the tier below the Grand Slams in terms of field strength and prestige, through a protected injury ranking.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
In recent times the hotel had acquired a certain prestige among tourists, and people traveled from the provinces to the capital just to see it and go back and tell their friends about it.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
