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

• excellence
• excellency

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

Having spent years working tirelessly in pursuit of greatness for himself, transitioning into a leadership mindset proved to be a challenge. —William Jones, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025

Koufax had flirted with pitching greatness. —Steve Futterman, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025

Underwood plays Dean’s demanding father, Blane, who focuses on getting his son to the pantheon of hockey greatness that alluded Blane himself. —Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025

For starters, baseball is a sport steeped in history and tradition, and for more than a century the AL and NL have served as the through line connecting generations of baseball greatness. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing greatness

• the stuff of greatness

Rhymes for greatness

• lateness
• straightness