excellence

noun

ex·​cel·​lence ˈek-s(ə-)lən(t)s 

1

: the quality of being excellent

an award for academic excellence

setting a high standard of excellence

see also black excellence

2

plural excellences : an excellent or valuable quality : virtue

… I am as admiring as almost everyone else of the film's many excellences …

—Daniel Mendelsohn

3

or Excellence : excellency sense 2

Lord Regent, I do greet your Excellence …

—William Shakespeare

Synonyms of excellence

• excellency
• superiority
• perfection

Examples of excellence in a Sentence

The school is known for the excellence of its teachers.

an award for academic excellence

setting a high standard of excellence

Recent Examples on the Web

So, the Packers of Vince Lombardi, Ray Nitschke, Jim Taylor, Herb Adderly, Willie Wood, Jerry Kramer and the other men who made this franchise a beacon of excellence and toughness and turned Green Bay into Titletown are a long-ago memory. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026

The idea that people choose mission over excellence is another myth—the best people want both. — Leslie Motter, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Related Stories Berger will receive the Evolution Vision Award, which recognizes narrative excellence reflecting the mission of building bridges between cultures and people. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026

Humm will be his more casual à la carte restaurant, promising the same culinary excellence that Humm (the chef) is acclaimed for. — Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing excellence

• black excellence
• center of excellence
• par excellence

Kids Definition

excellence

noun

ex·​cel·​lence ˈek-s(ə-)lən(t)s 

1

: high quality

2

: an excellent quality : virtue

3

: excellency sense 2