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.

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 Word Forms

• superexcellence 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

The Olivier Awards organisation, which recognise excellence in theatre, said West End theatres would dim their lights for two minutes at 19:00 BST on 2 December to remember the playwright.

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Driving along the 71 Freeway toward the Inland Empire, you pass Chino Hills High and immediately think of the Ball brothers and the greatest season of high school basketball excellence.

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Flanker Guy Pepper has taken his own shot with four starts of understated excellence this autumn.

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The simplicity with which the goal was created exemplified Forest's excellence and Liverpool's lack of heart and intensity.

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“What we advocate for in ‘31 Minutos’ is artistic excellence from Chile,” Díaz adds.

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Related Words

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