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EXCELLENCY
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
An outstanding feature; something in which something or someone excels
Example:
the use of herbs is one of the excellencies of French cuisine
Synonyms:
excellence; excellency
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("excellency" is a kind of...):
characteristic; feature (a prominent attribute or aspect of something)
Derivation:
excellent (very good; of the highest quality)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A title used to address dignitaries (such as ambassadors or governors); usually preceded by 'Your' or 'His' or 'Her'
Example:
Your Excellency
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("Excellency" is a kind of...):
important person; influential person; personage (a person whose actions and opinions strongly influence the course of events)
Context examples:
I answered in few words, but to no purpose, and made a sign with my hand that was loose, putting it to the other (but over his excellency’s head for fear of hurting him or his train) and then to my own head and body, to signify that I desired my liberty.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
When their treaty was finished, wherein I did them several good offices by the credit I now had, or at least appeared to have, at court, their excellencies, who were privately told how much I had been their friend, made me a visit in form.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
In a few days we came back to town; and his excellency, considering the bad character he had in the academy, would not go with me himself, but recommended me to a friend of his, to bear me company thither.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
And your friend the secretary, humbly desiring to be heard again, in answer to what the treasurer had objected, concerning the great charge his majesty was at in maintaining you, said, that his excellency, who had the sole disposal of the emperor’s revenue, might easily provide against that evil, by gradually lessening your establishment; by which, for want of sufficient for you would grow weak and faint, and lose your appetite, and consequently, decay, and consume in a few months; neither would the stench of your carcass be then so dangerous, when it should become more than half diminished; and immediately upon your death five or six thousand of his majesty’s subjects might, in two or three days, cut your flesh from your bones, take it away by cart-loads, and bury it in distant parts, to prevent infection, leaving the skeleton as a monument of admiration to posterity.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
His excellency, having mounted on the small of my right leg, advanced forwards up to my face, with about a dozen of his retinue; and producing his credentials under the signet royal, which he applied close to my eyes, spoke about ten minutes without any signs of anger, but with a kind of determinate resolution, often pointing forwards, which, as I afterwards found, was towards the capital city, about half a mile distant; whither it was agreed by his majesty in council that I must be conveyed.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
