prestige
[pre-steezh, -steej]
- reputation or influence arising from success, achievement, rank, or other favorable attributes.
- 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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- having or showing success, rank, wealth, etc.
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Origin of prestige
1650–60 for an earlier sense; < French (orig. plural): deceits, delusions, juggler's tricks < Latin praestīgiae juggler's tricks, variant of praestrīgiae, derivative from base of praestringere to blunt (sight or mind), literally, to tie up so as to constrict, equivalent to prae- pre- + stringere to bind fast; see stringent
Synonyms
See more synonyms for prestige on Thesaurus.com1. weight, importance.
Antonyms
1. disrepute.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
prestige
- 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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Word Origin
C17: via French from Latin praestigiae feats of juggling, tricks; apparently related to Latin praestringere to bind tightly, blindfold, from prae before + stringere to draw tight, bind
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for prestiges
prestige
n.
1650s, "trick," from French prestige (16c.) "deceit, imposture, illusion" (in Modern French, "illusion, magic, glamour"), from Latin praestigium "delusion, illusion" (see prestigious). Derogatory until 19c.; sense of "dazzling influence" first applied 1815, to Napoleon.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper