greatness

noun

great·​ness ˈgrāt-nəs 

: the quality or state of being great (as in size, skill, achievement, or power)

Today, many Inca buildings still stand—all witnesses to an empire of unforgettable greatness.

—Michelle Laliberte

An understanding of the visible world became a better way of understanding the greatness of God.

—Mario Salvadori

I came back convinced that bourbon and its cousins are America's contribution to world distillery, with as strong a claim to greatness as anything from Scotland, Ireland, or Canada.

—Corby Kummer

… young team that came within a game of reaching the World Series, a team on the verge of greatness.

—Barry Rozner

Tyson, 33, has long since abandoned any claim to boxing greatness, having squandered his promise in two jail sentences, a suspension and several gory defeats.

—Richard Hoffer

Synonyms

• choiceness
• distinction
• excellence
• excellency
• first-rateness
• perfection
• preeminence
• primeness
• superbness
• superiority
• supremacy

Examples of greatness in a Sentence

a poet whose work is of enduring greatness

the overwhelming greatness of the canyon is what visitors first notice

Recent Examples on the Web

The last 2,000 tickets for the 1967 All-Star Game went on sale for $2 and $3, and for that price, the paying fans got to see greatness. —Daniel Brown, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025

Regardless, the film’s scandalous backstory remains an essential component of its all-American greatness. —John Semley, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2025

Well-functioning democracies aren’t dedicated to transformative visions of national greatness, social justice or any other all-encompassing project: Their purpose is to mediate disagreements over ends and means while moderating excesses of power and ambition. —Clive Crook, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025

The Philadelphia Eagles are on the cusp of Super Bowl greatness, but team owner Jeffrey Lurie also has his sights set on another powerhouse, the Boston Celtics. —Jacob Gurvis, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing greatness

• the stuff of greatness