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pres·tige

(prĕ-stēzh, -stēj)

1. The level of respect at which a person or thing is regarded by others; standing: an act that boosted his prestige; a job with low prestige.

2. Good reputation; honor: Her accomplishments lent a lot of prestige to the college.

3. Great respect or importance: Doctors are usually treated with prestige.

[French, illusion, magic trick, charm, ability to inspire admiration, prestige, from Latin praestīgiae, tricks, probably alteration of *praestrīgiae, from praestringere, to touch, blunt, blind : prae-, pre- + stringere, to draw tight; see streig- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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