splendor

noun

splen·​dor ˈsplen-dər 

1

a

: great brightness or luster : brilliancy

b

: magnificence, pomp

2

: something splendid

the splendors of the past

splendorous adjective

or less commonly splendrous

ˈsplen-d(ə-)rəs 

Synonyms of splendor

• majesty
• brilliance
• glory
• elegance
• magnificence
• grandeur
• nobility

Examples of splendor in a Sentence

The palace had lost much of its original splendor.

the splendor of the ancient monument awed us into silence

Recent Examples on the Web

More screen time, less wild habitat available to visit, and a shift to urban living have made Americans less viscerally connected to the splendor of planet Earth. —John Reid, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026

Adding the appropriate gothic touch to this Debra Hill production are John Lloyd’s dripping-with-mock-Victorian-splendor sets and John Morris’ delightfully tongue-in-cheek score. —Kirk Ellis, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026

The twin scores established both a newfound lexicon of splendor for the Super Mario series and set a cinematic benchmark for video-game scores going forward. —Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 9 May 2026

To soak in the splendor from a beach club, book a stay at Lures Hotel. —Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English splendure, from Anglo-French splendur, from Latin splendor, from splendēre

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for splendor

• bender
• blender
• fender
• gender
• lender
• mender
• prendre
• render
• sender
• slender
• tender
• vender

Kids Definition

splendor

noun

splen·​dor ˈsplen-dər 

1

: great brightness : brilliance

the splendor of the sun

2

: pomp sense 1, glory

the splendor of ancient Rome

3

: something splendid

the splendors of the past

splendorous adjective

also splendrous

ˈsplen-d(ə-)rəs