excellence, excellency

[Fr. excellence, from Lat. excellent i a, from excel lens, pr. par. of excello; Sp. excelencia; Port. excel len cia; Ital. eccellenza.] 1. The quality or state of excelling or po e ing some certain quality in an unusual or eminent degree; superiority, preeminence. "If now thy beauty be of such esteem,,, Which all of so rare excellency deem." Drayton: Edward IV . to Mrs. Shore. 2. That in which any person or thing excels; any valuable quality po e ed in an unusual or eminent degree; an excellent quality, feature, or trait. "The criticisms have been made rather to discover beauties and excellencies than their faults and imperfections."-Add is on. 3. Dignity, high rank in existence. "See the mind of beastly man, That hath so soon forgot the excellence Of his creation." Spenser: F. Q., II. ii. 87. IMG:content-1221.png:[blocks in formation] 5. A title of honor given to certain persons of high rank. It is the title given to the President of the United States, and the Governors of the various states in this country and in some other countries, to a Viceroy, a Governor-General, an Amba ador, or a Commander-in-Chief. (Used with the po e ive pronouns his , your , their , prefixed.) Crabb thus discriminates between excellence and superiority : " Excellence is an absolute term; superiority is a relative term; many may have ex cellence in the same degree, but they must have superiority in different degrees: superiority is often superior excellence , but in many cases they are applied to different objects." (Crabb: Eng. Synon.)