cachet

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 15, 2024 is: cachet \ka-SHAY\ noun Cachet is used as a synonym of [prestige](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prestige) to refer to the respect and admiration someone or something receives for being successful or important. It can also be used to refer to a characteristic feature or quality that confers such prestige. // His research in Antarctica gave him a certain cachet among other scientists. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cachet) Examples: "This 175-year-old real-life castle in Northern Ireland has real historical cachet." — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Sept. 2024 Did you know? If you're looking for a catchy word to add to your vocabulary, why not give your [stamp of approval](https://bit.ly/3A2L9Qo) to cachet? After all, this term is borrowed directly from French, a language which has [long held a certain cachet in English](https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/norman-conquest-new-english-words) (formal- and fancy-sounding English words often have a French pedigree—evidence of the prestige bestowed on the language). In French, cachet—which comes from the Middle French verb cacher meaning "to press"—refers to an official seal pressed into soft wax and used on formal and legal documents. The "seal" sense of cachet has been used in English since the 17th century, and in the 19th century the word started acquiring its extended senses, first referring to a feature or quality conferring prestige, and by century's end to prestige itself.