great seal

noun

: a large seal that constitutes an emblem of sovereignty and is used especially for the authentication of important documents

Examples of great seal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 1782, the Continental Congress placed the bald eagle on the front of the great seal of the U.S., which is seen on the back of the dollar bill. John Molseed, Twin Cities, 22 June 2024 In August 1776, a debate for designing a new great seal for the republic took place. Maurizio Valsania, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2023 Memorialized on this country’s great seal as the embodiment of the American spirit, the species was almost destroyed by the nation’s lust for land and wealth, then saved by a group of visionaries who ensured its survival. Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2022 When done properly, this provides a great seal over the window, and the air pocket created prevents condensation. Mark Philben, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Dec. 2021 The debate over one mask or two masks continues, but Peter Krouse finds one thing that most medical officials can agree on: Nothing is more important than finding a mask with a great seal. Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 16 Feb. 2021 What Franklin did, Cook said, was write a private letter to his daughter more than a year after adoption of the great seal, which included some disparaging remarks about the eagle. Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'great seal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of great seal was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near great seal

Cite this Entry

“Great seal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great%20seal. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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