excellence

noun

ex·​cel·​lence ˈek-s(ə-)lən(t)s How to pronounce excellence (audio)
Synonyms of excellence
1
: the quality of being excellent
an award for academic excellence
setting a high standard of excellence
see also black excellence
2
plural excellences : an excellent or valuable quality : virtue
… I am as admiring as almost everyone else of the film's many excellences …—Daniel Mendelsohn
3
or Excellence : excellency sense 2
Lord Regent, I do greet your Excellence …—William Shakespeare

Synonyms of excellence

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of excellence in a Sentence

The school is known for the excellence of its teachers. an award for academic excellence setting a high standard of excellence
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But anyone who’s gone in search of ramen excellence should lock Shimamoto’s artistry in their memory. — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 Her reputation for excellence and the utmost integrity is well earned. — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 The Collegiate Combo Competition recognizes excellence in college and university jazz programs across the country, highlighting student musicianship and ensemble performance. — Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 27 Aug. 2026 Your relationship with competition and success and excellence, did that change at all? — Elise Devlin, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for excellence

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of excellence was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing excellence

Browse Nearby Words

excel
excellence
excellency
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Excellence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excellence. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

excellence

noun
ex·​cel·​lence ˈek-s(ə-)lən(t)s How to pronounce excellence (audio)
1
: high quality
2
: an excellent quality : virtue
3
: excellency sense 2
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All