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.

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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

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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

Example Sentences

He redirected praise to the excellence of the crew and the sturdiness of the plane.

From The Wall Street Journal

Whether excellence alone can continue to prop up a game afforded so little space remains the unanswered question.

From BBC

The fabrics used were intended to "promote British fashion, excellence and production", says Kwei.

From BBC

But excellence is always a relative standard, not an absolute one.

From The Wall Street Journal

Through continued institutional excellence, as well as some clever brand management, Merriam-Webster has survived the tech takeover.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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