greatness
See also: Great Ness
English
Etymology
From Middle English gretnesse, gretnes, greetnesse, from Old English grēatnes. Equivalent to great + -ness.
Pronunciation
- enPR: grātʹnəs, IPA(key): /ˈɡɹeɪtnəs/
- Hyphenation: great‧ness
Audio (US) (file)
Noun
greatness (countable and uncountable, plural greatnesses)
- The state, condition, or quality of being great
- Due to the greatness of his size, he was an effective bodyguard.
- greatness of mind
- c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]:
- 1964, Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 147:
- Until then I had felt that what a great writer I was had been carefully kept secret between myself and my wife and only those people we knew well enough to speak to. I was glad Scott had come to the same happy conclusion as to this possible greatness, but I was also glad he was beginning to run out of his speech.
- 2012 June 29, Kevin Mitchell, “Roger Federer Back from Wimbledon 2012 Brink to Beat Julien Benneteau”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 15 November 2016:
- He showed his greatness when it mattered, but his occasional weakness too.
- (obsolete): Pride; haughtiness.
- 1631, Francis [Bacon], “New Atlantis. A Worke Vnfinished.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:
- It is not of pride or greatness that he cometh not aboard your ships.
Translations
The state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
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pride — see pride
haughtiness — see haughtiness
See also
References
- “greatness”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
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