illustrious
/ɪˈlʌs.tɹɪ.əs/
illustrious means admired, distinguished, respected, or well-known.
illustrious is pronounced /ɪˈlʌs.tɹɪ.əs/.
Why “illustrious” is a great word
Marked by great fame, honor, and distinction derived from celebrated achievements. From Latin illūstris ("bright, shining; distinguished, prominent") + the English suffix -ous. The Latin illūstris is from illūstrō ("to brighten, illuminate; to make famous"). First attested in English in the 1560s. Unlike "famous," which can attach to infamy as easily as to honor, or "notorious," which wallows in the shadows of disgrace, "illustrious" is a purely golden reputation, burnished by time and merit. It is the patina of medals on a worn uniform, the respectful hush that follows a name spoken in a solemn hall, the weight of a legacy that bends but does not break the branch of the family tree—a radiance earned, not merely witnessed, and therefore slow to fade.
Etymology
From Latin illūstris (“bright, shining; distinguished, prominent, illustrious”) + -ous (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, to denote possession or presence of a quality in any degree). Illūstris is derived from illūstrō (“to brighten, illuminate; to make famous or illustrious”), from in- (“in, inside”) + lūstrō (“to purify by making a sacrifice; to brighten, illuminate”) (from lūstrō (“purificatory sacrifice”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“bright; to shine”) or *lewh₃- (“to wash”)).
adj
- Admired, distinguished, respected, or well-known.
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