prestigious
adj.respected and admired because of high quality, success, or influence. You use this to describe things like top universities, famous awards, or important jobs.
adj.possessing high status or stature; inspiring respect and admiration through perceived excellence or influence. Often used to describe institutions, awards, or professional positions.
“She won a prestigious award for her scientific research.”
“Graduating from such a prestigious university often opens doors to high-level careers in law and international business.”
“The fellowship remains one of the most prestigious honors in the humanities, attracting thousands of applications from the world's leading scholars every year.”
Typically precedes the noun it modifies; frequently collocated with 'award', 'university', 'position', or 'firm'.
“Their findings are revealed in a recent paper published in the prestigious Astrophysical Journal Letters.”
“The news the company that owns Raleigh has begun insolvency proceedings means one of Nottingham's most prestigious manufacturing names may have reached the end of its journey.”
Attested since the 1540s; Latin praestigiosus (“full of tricks”), praestigiae (“juggler's tricks”), possibly an alteration of praestringō (“to blindfold, to dazzle”), from prae- (“before”) with stringō (“to bind or tie”); equivalent to prestige + -ious. Unstressed /ɛ/ is retained by analogy with prestige.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.