excellence

[ ek-suh-luhns ]

noun

1. the fact or state of excelling; superiority; eminence:

   his excellence in mathematics.

   Synonyms: distinction, transcendence, preeminence

2. an excellent quality or feature:

   Use of herbs is one of the excellences of French cuisine.

   Synonyms: virtue, merit

   Antonyms: inferiority

3. (usually initial capital letter) excellency ( def 1 ).

excellence

/ ˈɛksələns /

noun

1. the state or quality of excelling or being exceptionally good; extreme merit; superiority
2. an action, characteristic, feature, etc, in which a person excels

Other Words From

• super·excel·lence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of excellence¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin excellentia; equivalent to excel + -ence

Example Sentences

Four minutes after Bayliss scored, there was more excellence from Scotland.

From BBC

“We want to build a home that is reflective of who they are, the direction we’re going, the excellence they strive for and model all the time,” Pebley said.

From Los Angeles Times

As the car struggled, Verstappen’s consistency of excellence - he is, as Norris says, one of the greatest F1 drivers there has ever been - paid off.

From BBC

We learn about da Vinci’s early life, family, education and lovers, and the doc does an admirable job of explaining not just excellence but innovation.

From New York Times

"A hard cap would be bad for Australia’s human capital and the talent pipeline, bad for soft power and bad for academic excellence and research," Julian Hill told The Australian newspaper.

From BBC

Related Words

• greatness
• merit
• perfection
• purity
• quality
• supremacy
• virtue