Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - prestige

 noun  Usage: often attributive  Etymology: French, from Middle French, conjuror's trick, illusion, from Latin praestigiae, plural, conjuror's tricks, from praestringere to graze, blunt, constrict, from prae- + stringere to bind tight — more at strain  Date: 1829  1. standing or estimation in the eyes of people ; weight or credit in general opinion  2. commanding position in people's minds  Synonyms: see influence  • ~ful adjective