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

But for the first decade of his career Jones was among the most dominant center fielders baseball had ever seen, and as time went on more voters opted to reward that greatness rather than punish him for his abrupt decline. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026

Whatever your preconceived notions about Feldman are, Hume’s film will expand and challenge them; the movie’s greatness lies in its ability to capture all of Feldman’s contradictions and self-destructiveness, empathizing with him without soft-pedaling his sins. —Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026

But Hendrick understands that greatness isn’t possible on the track — or in his backyard — without the greatness of others. —Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 23 Jan. 2026

But one that is perhaps too aware of its grandeur, entitlement to greatness and is willing to suffer repeatedly for it, and to make others suffer for its aspirations. —Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 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