greatness

great·ness
G2R1E1A1T1N1E1S1S1
/ˈɡɹeɪtnəs/

noun

The state, condition, or quality of being great

“greatness of mind”

Similar
illustriousnessenormousnessgrandnessimmensenessimmensitysizeablenessvastnesswideness
OriginMiddle English gretnesse ← Old English grēatnes →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

noungreatness (countable and uncountable, plural greatnesses)

plural greatnesses

  1. countableuncountableThe state, condition, or quality of being great

    greatness of mind

    4 more examples

    Due to the greatness of his size, he was an effective bodyguard.

    Mal. Some are borne great... Some atcheeue greatnesse... And some haue greatnesse thrust vpon them.

    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]

    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.

    1964, Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 147

    He showed his greatness when it mattered, but his occasional weakness too.

    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 Nov 2016
  2. countableobsoleteuncountablePride; haughtiness.

    It is not of pride or greatness that he cometh not aboard your ships.

    1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “New Atlantis. A Worke Vnfinished.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe property possessed by something or someone of outstanding importance or eminence

Similar
illustriousness
Broader
importance

noununusual largeness in size or extent or number

Similar
enormousnessgrandnessimmensenessimmensitysizeablenessvastnesswideness
Broader
largenessbigness
Also see
enormousnessexcellencegrandnessillustriousnessimmensenessimmensitysuperiorityvastnesswideness

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Englishgrēatnes
  2. Middle Englishgretnesse
  3. Englishgreatness

From Middle English gretnesse, gretnes, greetnesse, from Old English grēatnes. Equivalent to great + -ness.

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek μέγεθος
  • μέγεθος (mégethos)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Arabic عَظَمَة, كِبَر
  • عَظَمَة (ʕaẓama)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • كِبَر (kibar)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Bulgarian вели́чие
  • вели́чие (velíčie)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Chinese Cantonese 偉大 /伟大
  • 偉大 /伟大 (wai⁵ daai⁶)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Chinese Mandarin 偉大 /伟大
  • 偉大 /伟大 (wěidà)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Czech velikost
  • velikostthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Danish storhed
  • storhedthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Dutch grootheid, grootte
  • grootheidthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • groottethe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Estonian suurus
  • suurusthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Finnish suuruus
  • suuruusthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
French grandeur
  • grandeurthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
German Größe
  • Größethe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Greek μεγαλείο
  • μεγαλείο (megaleío)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Hindi महानता, महिमा
  • महानता (mahāntā)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • महिमा (mahimā)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • बड़प्पन (baṛappan)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • बड़ाई (baṛāī)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • अज़मत (azmat)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • अजमत (ajmat)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Hungarian nagyság
  • nagyságthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Icelandic stærð
  • stærðthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Italian grandezza
  • grandezzathe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Japanese 大きいこと
  • 大きいこと (ōkii koto)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Korean 큼
  • 큼 (keum)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Latin magnitudo
  • magnitudothe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Latvian lieliskums, lielums
  • lieliskumsthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • lielumsthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Lithuanian didybė
  • didybėthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Norwegian Bokmål storhet
  • storhetthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Polish wielkość
  • wielkośćthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Portuguese grandeza
  • grandezathe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Romanian măreție, grandoare
  • mărețiethe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • grandoarethe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • mărirethe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • mărimethe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Russian вели́чие
  • вели́чие (velíčije)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Scottish Gaelic meudachd
  • meudachdthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Slovak veľkosť
  • veľkosťthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Spanish grandeza
  • grandezathe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Swedish storhet
  • storhetthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Thai ความยิ่งใหญ่
  • ความยิ่งใหญ่ (kwaam-yîng-yài)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Turkish büyüklük, azamet
  • büyüklükthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • azametthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Ukrainian ве́лич, вели́ччя
  • ве́лич (vélyč)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • вели́ччя (velýččja)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • вели́чність (velýčnistʹ)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • вели́кість (velýkistʹ)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Urdu عَظْمَت, عَظَمَت
  • عَظْمَت ('azmat)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • عَظَمَت ('azamat)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
  • بَڑائِی (baṛāī)the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc
Vietnamese sự to lớn
  • sự to lớnthe state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with greatness

lateness
All rhymes →

Anagrams

Tressange
Cite this entry
APA

greatness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/greatness

MLA

“greatness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/greatness. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “greatness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/greatness.

Source: greatness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.