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

Your decisions about what constitutes greatness will be specific to you. —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 24 Feb. 2026

Maybe because Shaquille O’Neal spoke only via video Sunday, the greatness of this organization never felt further away. —Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026

For a brush with greatness, consider booking a ski day with Olympian Wendy Fisher, an icon in the sport of big mountain free skiing and a Crested Butte local. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026

Getting a new haircut is an opportunity for both greatness and disappointment, depending on how the appointment goes. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 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