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

The greatness of the military should be honored, regardless of which president is in power or their political party. —Nicole Russell, USA Today, 13 June 2025

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault isn’t taking the greatness of the MVP for granted. —Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2025

He’s only shown a lot of greatness these past four years, and this game really cemented it for me. —Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 7 June 2025

Racetracks like Saratoga have attempted to make the weekend a spectacle, with bands and activities throughout the races in hopes of showing the greatness of horse racing and what a day at the track looks like. —Spencer Ripchik, Baltimore Sun, 6 June 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