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
Derived 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.
Seven Georgian nationals will be tried in Paris starting Tuesday for the theft of rare editions of Russian literary classics from prestigious French libraries, including works by Alexander Pushkin.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Satrapi studied in Austria for four years as a teenager at the prestigious Lycée Français de Vienne.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
Bilton received a difficult reception after Weiss installed him as the leader of “60 Minutes,” immediately elevating the author, documentary producer and former columnist into one of the most prestigious positions in television news.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Behind the scenes, Monroe founded her own production company, attended the prestigious Actors Studio in New York, and even defied the studios.
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026
Seabiscuit may have been a public and media darling in the West, but in the prestigious eastern racing circles he still wasn’t taken seriously.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
