1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

excellence

noun

ˈek-s(ə-)lən(t)s How to pronounce excellence (audio)
Definition of excellencenext
1
as in excellency
exceptionally high quality the annual awards honor excellence in children's literature

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distinction
a quality that gives something special worth the particular excellence of down in clothing and sleeping bags is its lightness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of excellence Their expressions revealed not simply technical excellence, but also emotional investment. — Octavia McBride-Ahebee, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026 In that time, the program has not been the platonic ideal of college football excellence. — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Cristobal still preaches relentless effort, a pursuit of excellence and, of course, the team focusing on going 1-0 every week. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 The biggest downside is that expectations are through the roof, and anything less than excellence will be a massive disappointment. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for excellence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excellence
  1. excellency
  2. distinction
  3. superiority
  4. value
  5. perfection
  6. advantage
  7. virtue
  8. merit
Noun
  • Education was considered an individual pursuit marked by moral excellency and only the students who did the best in school would have proceeded to higher education.
    — Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2024
  • Paradise Dynasty, Kang Kang, Long Xing Ji, Hui Tou Xiang, Min Min Pie House (and so many more) should all be household names worthy of recognition for their myriad styles and excellency.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2024
Definition of excellency
Noun
  • Benton holds a unique distinction in baseball history as the only pitcher to face both Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The distinction matters because older Claude models showed limited ability to support sophisticated biological research.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of distinction
Noun
  • Many Germans had believed their country had developed an immunity to nationalism and assertions of racial superiority after confronting the horrors of its Nazi past through education and laws to outlaw persecution.
    — Kirsten Grieshaber, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Only truly sophisticated taste, in this code, grasps the superiority of deprivation over the more ethnic notions of actual comfort and good food.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of superiority
Noun
  • Republicans and Democrats alike have faced anger from voters anxious about the impact a data center built in their community will have on utility bills, property values, and quality of life.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2026
  • SpaceX got the rest of the contracts, with 22 launches booked on Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets for a total value of $4 billion.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of value
Noun
  • When a stock priced for perfection starts missing on momentum instead, that valuation gap becomes the risk.
    — Tony Zhang, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • One student told Leahy that the problem wasn’t decadence but an obsession with achievement and perfection.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of perfection
Noun
  • Galatasaray squandered a 5-2 first-leg lead against Juventus in last season’s knockout play-off round, despite having a man advantage for most of the game.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Podded propulsion offers particular advantages in this environment.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of advantage
Noun
  • When late summer rolls around, Taylor Fritz joins a chorus of Americans in extoling the virtues of hard courts and talking about how the North American swing is his favorite time of year.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Though eventually abandoned due to cost, this system of surveillance endeavored to equate producers with virtue.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of virtue
Noun
  • Mosley was initially encouraged by the judge's decision to deny the defendants' motion to dismiss, taking it as a signal her fraud accusations could have merit.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Nowhere in the world do nonprofessionals (strictly speaking) merit the attention that the college football player here does.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of merit

Phrases Containing excellence

Browse Nearby Words

excelled
excellence
excellences
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Excellence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excellence. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quorum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All