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

But Otto was the first to wear the uniform who was destined for a level of greatness the sport’s history would indelibly record. —Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 20 May 2024

His grandiloquent narration repeatedly expresses as much, along with assurances that greatness is his destiny, and that everyone around him is some manner of fool for not recognizing his genius. —Jessica Kiang, Variety, 19 May 2024

National greatness does not lie in conquest and oppression. —Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 16 May 2024

Along with the greatness of the music and choreography, the story itself stands strong. —Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 May 2024

Raymond and Sandra Griner welcomed their daughter Brittney in 1990 Brittney Griner's parents, Raymond and Sandra Griner, always knew she was destined for greatness. —Nasha Smith, Peoplemag, 9 May 2024

So many athletes and their grace, the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifices that have been made by moms and dads for, in some cases, 20 years to be there to have a front-row seat to all that greatness. —Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024

With this album, Mach wants to focus on Haiti’s greatness and fight the public’s negative connotation associated with his homeland. —Angel Diaz, Billboard, 6 May 2024

Who raised her, after all, has been the source for so much in her life: of her introduction to and love of basketball, of moments of grief, of stretches of greatness. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 4 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing greatness

• the stuff of greatness