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prestige

Etymology and origin of the English word prestige

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pɹɛsˈtiːʒ/, /pɹɛsˈtiːd͡ʒ/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French prestige (“illusion, deception”),[2][3][4][5][6] from Latin praestīgiae (“conjuror's tricks”),[2][3][4][5][6] probably an alteration of *praestrīgiae,[2][3][6] from praestringere “to bind, blindfold, dazzle”,[2][3][5][6] from prae- “before” and stringere “to bind tight”.[2][3][5][6] It is related to prestigious and stringent.[1][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

An illusion, a conjuring trick or deception (1656).[7][3][4]

Semantic evolution

The sense of a dazzling influence or glamour appeared about 1815, first used of Napoleon as a French word in English contexts.[3][4][7] From this it came to mean a reputation for excellence or authority,[4] and the old sense of a trick is obsolete.[7][4] Similarly, prestigious meant “deceitful” from 1546 and only took the sense of “having prestige” in 1913.[3]

Timeline

  • 1546 – prestigious, deceitful.[3]
  • 1656 – an illusion or trick.[7][3][4]
  • 1815 – dazzling influence, of Napoleon.[7][3][4]
  • 1913 – prestigious, having prestige.[3]
  • 1934 – attributive, as prestige car.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The respect and admiration felt for someone or something because of success, rank or quality; standing or esteem.
  2. (attributive) Having or conferring high status, as in a prestige brand.

Word family

  • prestigeful
  • prestigious
  • prestidigitation

Usage notes

Random House gives weight and importance as synonyms, and disrepute as an antonym.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Prestige.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/prestige. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·