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

It is loosely inspired by American table tennis player Marty Reisman and his at-all-costs pursuit of greatness. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 13 Nov. 2025

Most federal funding now requires celebrating American greatness, military valor, and exceptionalism. —Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2025

The talking heads, always a key ingredient to the Ken Burns Experience, go to great lengths to describe not only the greatness of men like George Washington in particular, but also the darker side of their lives, like Washington’s position as a slaveholder and land speculator. —Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 12 Nov. 2025

Instead of feeling powerful by lavishing in the spoils of his riches, Buffett finds true value and greatness in non-material pursuits. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 12 Nov. 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