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excellence

American  
[ek-suh-luhns] / ˈɛk sə ləns /

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.

excellence British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • superexcellence noun

Etymology

Origin of excellence

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.