(usually initial capital letter) Also Excellence. a title of honor given to certain high officials, as governors, ambassadors, and Roman Catholic bishops and archbishops (preceded by his, your, etc.).
(usually initial capital letter) a person so entitled.
(usually initial capital letter) the title of the governor general of Canada while in office.
Usually excellencies. excellent qualities or features.
a title used to address or refer to a high-ranking official, such as an ambassador or governor
RC Church a title of bishops and archbishops in many non-English-speaking countries
1275–1325; Middle English excellencie < Latin excellentia. See excellent, -ency
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"It's just another example of our partnership. And I hope you know, your excellency, that you can count on us."
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2025
“The document shows Brazil has fulfilled with excellency all the rigid demands of the bidding process,” Brazilian soccer confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues said.
From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2024
In his message to Xi, Francis expressed “greetings of good wishes to your excellency and the people of China.”
From Washington Times ● Sep. 1, 2023
"I send greetings of good wishes to your excellency and the People of China," the Pope said in the telegram addressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
From Reuters ● Sep. 1, 2023
"Did your excellency, my lord duke"--another delighted chuckle among the men--"please to speak?"
From The Abbess Of Vlaye by Weyman, Stanley J.
In 1922, Jewan Singh & Sons was appointed watchmaker to the governor of the Punjab, His Excellency Sir Edward Maclagan, knight commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 25, 2025
COVID-19 shuttered his next project, the Harlem Food Hall, but then Smalls received an unexpected call from Her Excellency, the sheikh of Dubai’s daughter, which led to his work on Alkebulan.
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2025
Here, he is formally referred to as: His Excellency, Randy “R Dub!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2025
He wrote excitedly to a cardinal in Rome, praising Gutenberg and his pages, which he declared “exceedingly clean and correct in their script, and without error, such as Your Excellency could read effortlessly without glasses.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2024
“Your Excellency, what an honor it is to have you at my little get-together.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
"Prince Joachim's descendants will thus have to be addressed as excellencies in the future."
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2022
These excellencies are small moments tucked into a baggy novel that struggles to find its focus.
From New York Times ● Sep. 28, 2020
Melania Trump entered the room, strode to the rostrum, smiled and said, “Your excellencies, esteemed represent — ”
From Washington Post ● Mar. 27, 2017
Pope’s solution was to flag the excellencies with a comma in the margin—or, if they were particularly “shining” examples, with a star—whereas “excessively bad” passages were “degraded to the bottom of the page.”
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 6, 2015
But Ben Jonson is to be admired for many excellencies; and can be taxed with fewer failings than any English poet.
From Dryden's Works Vol. 3 (of 18) Sir Martin Mar-All; The Tempest; An Evening's Love; Tyrannic Love by Dryden, John
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.
