cachet

American  

[ka-shey, kash-ey, ka-she] / kæˈʃeɪ, ˈkæʃ eɪ, kaˈʃɛ /

noun

plural

cachets

1. an official seal, such as on a letter or document.

2. a distinguishing mark or feature; stamp.

   Relentless innovation is the cachet of success in the business world.

3. a sign or expression of approval, especially from a person who has a great deal of prestige.

4. superior status; prestige.

   In that country, any government job has a certain cachet.

5. Pharmacology. a hollow wafer for enclosing a bad-tasting medicine.

6. Philately. a firm name, slogan, or design stamped or printed on an envelope or folded letter.

---

cachet British  

/ ˈkæʃeɪ /

noun

1. an official seal on a document, letter, etc

2. a distinguishing mark; stamp

3. prestige; distinction

4. philately

   1. a mark stamped by hand on mail for commemorative purposes

   2. a small mark made by dealers and experts on the back of postage stamps Compare overprint surcharge

5. a hollow wafer, formerly used for enclosing an unpleasant-tasting medicine

---

Etymology

Origin of cachet

First recorded in 1630–40; from French: literally, “small hiding place,” from cache cache + -et -et

Explanation

Certain high-end brands have a particular cachet, or respectability. People just know they are the finest of their kind. The word cachet comes from the French cachet meaning "seal affixed to a letter or document," and if something has cachet, it's as if it has a seal of approval from society. If you start a design company selling cachets for people to seal their letters with fancy wax, try getting some celebrities to endorse it. Then your cachets will have cachet — and that's fancy.

Example Sentences

After sacred painting lost its cachet, he became one of the most acclaimed portraitists in all of Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

That balance—maintaining imported cachet while adapting to local tastes—has allowed warehouse retailers to capture consumers who are value-conscious but not necessarily willing to sacrifice quality.

From Barron's • Mar. 7, 2026

Banks had cachet to burn, which made her proposal to challenge the fashion industry’s idea of beauty by finding the next great model via a reality TV competition revolutionary.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

Burnham is also trying to use the city's sporting cachet to attract the globe's biggest contests.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

“Oh my. Yes, I’m the coolest. Now, most popular? Let’s just say that being Internet famous carries little cachet among my classmates.”

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

Related Words

• prestige
• stature