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

Most time-management books leave you feeling inadequate, focusing on greatness and optimization, but Adachi’s guide to time management covers doing less with more focus, a lesson that most founders need to learn. —Jodie Cook, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024

The star’s achievement came in part thanks to her drive for greatness from an early age. —Stephen Daw, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2024

But successful returns to greatness are nearly always built on reviving company cultures rather than reinventing them. —Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

So what takes a ho-hum taco to a new level of greatness? —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing greatness

• the stuff of greatness