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

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

But England were powerless to withstand the Australian excellence.

From BBC

"Erasmus also opens up Scotland to students for all over Europe to come to here and experience the world-class higher education and excellence in research that our nation has to offer."

From BBC

When nearly everyone admitted is excellent, excellence becomes common.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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