Great Power relationships in the 100 years between the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the start of World War 1 are often talked about in terms of an Imperial Power's "prestige". What exactly was prestige? Was it a contemporary term, or is it something that modern historians invented? Was prestige more than just an appraisal of a nation's military and economic might?
It's similar to respect. The imperial British navy/army was/is very prestigious because friend and foes alike held it's command and fighting man in high regard, knowing it could fight hard and smart.