Basic Details
Word: Excellence
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: The quality of being extremely good at something, far above the usual standard.
Synonyms: brilliance, merit, distinction, quality
Antonyms: mediocrity, inferiority
How to Spell Excellence
Syllables: ex - cel - lence
Tricky part: A c follows the x, the l is doubled, and the ending is ence. Exellence and excellance are the usual slips.
Watch out for: exellence, excelence, excellance
Memory tip: Excellent ends in ent, so its noun excellence ends in ence. No a appears anywhere in either word.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The school won an award for excellence in sports.
Example 2: Her excellence as a surgeon is known across Kerala.
Example 3: The bakery's excellence lies in its fresh bread every morning.
Fun Fact
Thinkers in ancient Greece spoke of arete, a word usually translated as excellence; for them even a knife or a horse could have arete if it did its job well.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. brillience 2. excellence 3. dilligence 4. perseverence
a) careful and steady hard work
b) great brightness or great cleverness
c) the quality of being outstandingly good
d) continuing to try in spite of difficulty
Show answer
c) the quality of being outstandingly good. Perseverance ends ance, diligence has one l and brilliance has ia, so excellence is the word to define.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
exccellence
a) l
b) n
c) x
d) c
Show answer
d) c. Only the l is doubled in excellence; one c follows the x.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The judges praised the lneceecelx of her Bharatanatyam performance.
a) excellent
b) excelling
c) excellence
d) excellency
Show answer
c) excellence. The jumble has no y or t, so it cannot be excellency or excellent; judges praise excellence.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A prize for excellence is given for ____.
a) coming late
b) losing a match
c) being absent
d) outstanding work
Show answer
d) outstanding work
2. Excellence is to excellent as patience is to ____.
a) patient
b) patienced
c) patients
d) patiently
Show answer
a) patient
