[a. F. excellence, ad. L. excellentia, f. excellent-em EXCELLENT.]
1. The state or fact of excelling; the possession chiefly of good qualities in an eminent or unusual degree; surpassing merit, skill, virtue, worth, etc.; dignity, eminence.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Macc. vi. 23. And he bigan for to thenke the worthi excellence of age.
1413. Lydg., Pilgr. Sowle, IV. xxviii. (1483), 74. Lucifer and his felaushyp … delytynge them to … wondren vppon theyr owne excellence.
1514. Barclay, Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.), 13. All the children … He set in honour, and rowme of excellence.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 208 b. The sublimite or hye excellence of the crosse of Chryst.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. xii. 87. The mind of beastly man … hath soone forgot the excellence Of his creation.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., II. ii. 113. Whatsoeuer cunning fiend it was That wrought vpon thee so preposterously, Hath got the voyce in hell for excellence. Ibid. (1602), Ham., V. ii. 143. Sir, you are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is at his weapon.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 10.
| When one, who for his Excellence | |
| In height’ning Words and shad’wing Sense,… | |
| Was magnify’d. |
1729. Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 178. Superior excellence of any kind … is the object of awe and reverence to all creatures.
1779–81. Johnson, L. P. Pope, Wks. IV. 73. Those … who attain any excellence commonly spend life in one pursuit.
1833. N. Arnott, Physics (ed. 5), II. 167. The brightest examples have arisen of intellectual and moral excellence.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. i. 49. That most necessary, if most difficult, condition of commercial excellence under which man should deal faithfully with his brother.
b. Phrases: † In excellence of = superior to (obs.). By (an, way of) excellence; in early use translating L. per, propter excellentiam, Gr. κατ᾽ ἐξοχήν, in later use = Fr. par excellence: (so called) as being preëminently entitled to the designation given. Now rare. Cf. EMINENCE 8 c.
c. 1400. Sowdone Bab., 17. While þat Rome was in excellence Of alle Realmes in dignite.
1613. Bp. Hall, Holy Panegyrick, Wks. (1627), 476. Attendance on His [God’s] ordinance (which by an excellence is tearmed His seruice).
a. 1704. T. Brown, Sat. Antients, Wks. 1730, I. 18. Lucilius having … embellished it [this poem], ought, by way of excellence, to be esteemed the first author.
1822. T. L. Peacock, Maid Marian, ix. Richard the First of England, the arch-crusader and anti-jacobin by excellence.
1838–9. Hallam, Hist. Lit., II. iii. II. § 5. 102. Cesalpin was denominated, by excellence, the Philosopher.
1846. Grote, Greece (1854), I. 55. In the mouth of an Athenian, Demeter and Persephone were always the Mother and Daughter, by excellence.
2. That in which a person or thing excels; an excellent feature or quality.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 26. The excellence of the spere solide … shewyth manifeste the diverse assenciouns of signes in diverse places.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., I. iii. 127. To. What is thy excellence in a galliard, knight? And. Faith, I can cut a caper.
1703. Locke, in Four C. Eng. Lett., 142. The adoration due to your other excellences.
1752. Johnson, Rambler, No. 208, ¶ 12. Some [papers] may be found, of which the highest excellence is harmless merriment.
1856. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., viii. (1858), 325. The great excellence of the eastern table-land was … in pasture and in forest.
1876. J. H. Newman, Hist. Sk., I. I. iv. 197. Civilized nations allow that foreigners have their specific excellences, and such excellences as are a lesson to themselves.
† b. An excellent action; a kindness, favor. Obs.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 2045, Ariadne. Yow that don me this excellence.
† 3. a. An excellent personality. Obs.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys, Introd. (Roxb.), 5. I diligence Do to plesyn the wurthy excellence Of thys holy maydyn.
1633. Ford, Broken H., IV. ii. H 3 b. Y’are to render Account to that faire Excellence, the Princesse.
1722. E. Heywood, British Recluse, 20. Blush not, fair Excellence!
1790. Mrs. A. M. Johnson, Monmouth, II. 95. That sainted excellence fell under the repeated strokes of their bloody swords!
† b. As a title of honor; = EXCELLENCY 3 b. Obs.
c. 1590. Greene, Fr. Bacon (1630), 51. If it may please the Lady Ellinor, One day shall match your Excellence and her.
1642. Slingsby, Diary (1836), 91. To treat wth his excellence abt exchange of prisoners.
1670. G. H., Hist. Cardinals, II. III. 184. The accident that happen’d betwixt his Excellences Servants, and the Corsi.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 497, ¶ 2. He told his Excellence, That he [the speaker] had pretended … to be wiser than he really was.
1737. Pope, Hor. Epist., II. ii. 44. Next pleas’d his Excellence a town to batter.
1796. Burney, Mem. Metastasio, I. 404. Being furnished with a letter from me to your excellence.
Hence Excellenceship. nonce-wd.
c. 1716. Lett. fr. Mist’s Wkly. Jrnl. (1722), I. 59. To his Excellenceship the Author of the Weekly Journal.
