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 of greatness

• 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

This is central to the rivalry’s greatness. —Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 21 May 2026

With globally evolving dining standards, Knife Edge reveals the stress, the pressure, the resilience needed to hold your nerve in the battle for greatness. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 May 2026

There was greatness from Victor Wembanyama, surprising performances from Alex Caruso and so much more. —David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026

The kind of tiny culinary catastrophes most diners would never notice, but that a young chef chasing greatness apparently sees in his sleep. —Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026

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