ˈeks(ə)lən(t)s noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin excellentia, from excellent-, excellens + -ia -y
1. : the quality of being excellent : the state of possessing good qualities in an eminent degree
2. : an excellent or valuable quality : virtue
3. : excellency 2
Synonyms:
merit , virtue , perfection : excellence indicates a high degree or the highest degree of good qualities, of qualities that make for especial worth or merit; it may be limited explicitly by some such word as particular or distinctive or by its context
spoke of the rude health of their children as if it were a result of moral excellence; in a peculiar tone which seemed to imply some contempt for people whose children were liable to be unwell at times — Joseph Conrad
excellences achieved with the sure touch of craftsmanship — Saturday Review
merit , often contrasted with demerit in critical estimates, may refer broadly to any good, commendable, worthy, or valuable quality or feature
the result might have been a permanent aristocracy, possessing the merits and defects of the Spartans — Bertrand Russell
the merits and defects of Cowper's version — Matthew Arnold
the subject of my choice has the merit of universal appeal — R.W.Chapman
virtue may apply to a peculiar or distinctive power, strength, or efficacy, to a characteristic indicating moral goodness, or to some conspicuous character merit
flexibility and adaptation are the cardinal virtues of successful aging — George Lawton
the fine balance with which Johnson weighed and sustained his judgments of human flaws and virtues — H.V.Gregory
define as virtues those mental and physical habits which tend to produce a good community, and as vices those that tend to produce a bad one — Bertrand Russell
perfection suggests attainment to faultlessness, to the highest excellence
the effort to make such windows was never repeated. Their jeweled perfection did not suit the scale of the vast churches of the thirteenth century — Henry Adams
defective as they are in every branch of knowledge, and in every other species of refinement, it seems wonderful that they should arrive at such perfection in the dance — William Cowper