prestigious
Americanadjective
-
indicative of or conferring prestige.
the most prestigious address in town.
- Synonyms:
- distinguished
-
having a high reputation; honored; esteemed.
a prestigious author.
- Synonyms:
- notable, illustrious
adjective
-
having status or glamour; impressive or influential
-
rare characterized by or using deceit, cunning, or illusion; fraudulent
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prestigious
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin praestigiōsus “full of tricks, deceitful,” from praestigi(ae) “juggler's tricks” ( see prestige) + -ōsus -ous
Explanation
Eagle Scout is a prestigious position within the Boy Scouts. It requires a lot of hard work over a number of years, and if you become one, lots of people will respect you. The adjective prestigious has a really wonderful Latin root, praestigiae, which means "conjuring tricks." Think of the magic word, "Presto!" Even though today's prestigious doesn't necessarily mean that the person described can do magic, imagining prestigious people as magicians can help you remember the admiration and status that the word implies.
Vocabulary lists containing prestigious
The Hunger Games
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This Week in Words: October 22 - 27, 2017
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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.
Discovery has decided its streaming service Max would once again benefit from being associated with the most prestigious brand name in TV history.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025
It’s an effort to get its most prestigious brand to produce more shows than ever to bring in more subscribers and justify costs.
From The Verge • Sep. 27, 2019
Kentucky Owl offered a unique opportunity: a prestigious brand with almost no footprint, a blank slate on which SPI Group could write its own bourbon story.
From New York Times • Jan. 2, 2019
The allure of the big, prestigious brand — and all the pressures that come with it — may be dimming.
From Washington Post • Oct. 22, 2015
This is a very exciting opportunity for us to work with such a prestigious brand, which shares our commitment to quality and service.
From The Guardian • Apr. 28, 2013
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.
