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prestige

pres-TEEZH /presˈtiːʒ/

nounC1GREGMATCAT

neutralprofessional

Widespread respect and admiration felt for someone or something on the basis of their achievements, quality, or high status.

Prestige is closely tied to institutions, brands, and social standing. It is the aura of high quality and exclusivity that commands automatic respect.

The story behind the word. Prestige has one of the most surprising histories in the English language. It comes from the Latin 'praestigium', meaning a juggler's trick or an illusion. In the 17th century, a 'prestigiator' was a street magician. Over time, the word shifted from meaning 'a trick that blinds the eyes' to 'the dazzling glamour of high social standing' that blinds people with admiration.

Word relationships

status: Status is simply one's position in a hierarchy, which can be high or low; prestige is specifically high, honorable status.
repute: Repute is the general opinion held about someone, which can be good or bad; prestige is always highly positive and elite.

disrepute: Disrepute is the state of being held in low esteem or bad reputation.
insignificance: Insignificance is a lack of importance, power, or influence.

Commonly confused with

notoriety: Prestige is elite, positive respect; notoriety is widespread fame for negative reasons.

Word family

prestigious (adjective): Inspiring respect and admiration; having high status.

Collocations

immense prestige
prestige brand
social prestige
lend prestige to

Example sentences

"He was not interested in the salary; he wanted the prestige of working for a Supreme Court justice." Discussing career choices
"The brand has lost some of its prestige since it started mass-producing its leather goods in cheaper factories." The reputation of a brand

Memory hook

Think of a magician doing a 'prest-o change-o' trick. The crowd is dazzled, which is how we feel about high-status 'prestige' brands. A dazzling trick that commands respect.

When not to use

Do not use prestige to describe raw popularity or fame; a trashy reality TV show has high popularity but zero prestige.

Fun facts

The movie 'The Prestige' (directed by Christopher Nolan) uses the word in its original magic-trick sense: the final, dazzling stage of a magic illusion.