magnificence
Americannoun
-
the quality or state of being magnificent; splendor; grandeur; sublimity.
the magnificence of snow-covered mountains; the magnificence of his achievements.
- Synonyms:
- stateliness, nobility, majesty
-
impressiveness of surroundings.
the magnificence of Versailles.
- Synonyms:
- sumptuousness, opulence, luxuriousness
noun
Etymology
Origin of magnificence
1300–50; Middle English < Latin magnificentia, equivalent to magnificent- magnificent + -ia -y 3; see -ence
Explanation
Magnificence is when something is incredibly grand, beautiful, or impressive. You might describe the magnificence of a cruise ship, for example, with its elaborate ballrooms and large swimming pools. When something makes a huge impression on you, especially for its hugeness or fanciness, it has the quality of magnificence. To a little kid, Disney World has magnificence, while an adult might be impressed by the magnificence of a first class European train car. In the fourteenth century, magnificence implied courage and nobility, as the word comes from the Latin root magnificus, which means both "great, noble, and eminent," and also "splendid, rich, or costly."
Vocabulary lists containing magnificence
That's Great!: Magn
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The Remains of the Day
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A Dance with Dragons
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Bansal family and M3M—which stands for Magnificence in the Trinity of Men, Materials and Money—had worked for decades in Gurugram.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025
Having been doing odd jobs in London, working backstage to support his writing, Magnificence was a breakthrough for Brenton: a Royal Court commission that brought the political awareness of fringe theatre into the mainstream.
From The Guardian • Jul. 9, 2010
Her marriage to his Coruscating Magnificence, the Sun King, Louis XIV, lasted for 32 years.
From Time Magazine Archive
“Mayhaps Your Magnificence might ask the Yunkai’i to return his body to us, so we may bury him beneath the waves?”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
“If it please Your Magnificence, I will take my leave. You and the noble Hizdahr will have many things to discuss, I do not doubt.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
