Illustrious

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪˈlʌs.tɹɪ.əs/

Definitions

1. Renowned and respected due to significant accomplishments
2. Famous for excellence and holding a distinct place in history
3. Widely recognized and honored because of notable successes

Etymology: The core of "illustrious" is light. Its Latin ancestor "illustris" meant "bright" or "shining," and the verb "illustro" meant "to brighten" or "to illuminate." Both were built from "in-" and "lustro," the latter a verb tied to a purificatory sacrifice, though the image it carries is of making something bright. Over time, the literal sense of shining gave way to a figurative one: a thing that shines brightly draws attention, and so "illustris" came to mean "distinguished" or "prominent" in Latin, and "illustro" came to mean "to make famous." English took the adjective from Latin and added the suffix "-ous," which turns a noun into an adjective describing a quality present in some degree. The English word therefore keeps the Latin sense of standing out from the crowd, now applied to people and deeds that are famed for excellence rather than to anything that gives off light.

Synonyms: famous, renowned, notable, celebrated, distinguished

Antonyms: unknown, obscure, infamous, unremarkable, common