EXCELLENCE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does excellence mean? 

• EXCELLENCE (noun)
  The noun EXCELLENCE has 2 senses:

1. the quality of excelling; possessing good qualities in high degree

2. an outstanding feature; something in which something or someone excels

  Familiarity information: EXCELLENCE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EXCELLENCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The quality of excelling; possessing good qualities in high degree

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("excellence" is a kind of...):

quality (an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "excellence"):

admirability; admirableness; wonderfulness (admirable excellence)

grandness; impressiveness; magnificence; richness (splendid or imposing in size or appearance)

civilisation; civilization; refinement (the quality of excellence in thought and manners and taste)

Derivation:

excel (distinguish oneself)

excellent (very good; of the highest quality)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An outstanding feature; something in which something or someone excels

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

excellence; excellency

Context example:

the use of herbs is one of the excellencies of French cuisine

Hypernyms ("excellence" is a kind of...):

characteristic; feature (a prominent attribute or aspect of something)

 Context examples 

Further, he had an ideal, namely, of achieving that excellence of the perfect reporter who is able to make something—even a great deal—out of nothing.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

She thought her the model of all excellence and endeavoured to imitate her phraseology and manners, so that even now she often reminds me of her.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Unhappily, Murillo heard of his excellence, recalled him on some pretext, and had him shot.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Your reputation for excellence and grace will grow, so it will be the perfect time to present an idea for approval.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

A non-profit NCI-supported organization with the purpose of promoting excellence in the quality and integrity of clinical and basic scientific research in the field of gynecologic malignancies.

(Gynecologic Oncology Group, NCI Thesaurus)

The Institute builds on the Center's tradition of scientific excellence and promotes the development of innovative ways to diagnose, monitor, and treat cancer through advanced technology.

(David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, NCI Thesaurus)

The Massey Cancer Center serves Virginia and the nation as a comprehensive center of excellence in cancer research, prevention and control, patient care, and education.

(Massey Cancer Center, NCI Thesaurus)

In every power, of which taste is the foundation, excellence is pretty fairly divided between the sexes.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

He thought her a most extraordinary young woman; in her temper, manners, mind, a model of female excellence.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

I often tell young ladies that no excellence in music is to be acquired without constant practice.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)