Definition Definition

great - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'great' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Great [ n.]
- The whole; the gross; as, a contract to build a ship by the great.
2 . Great [ superl.]
- Large in space; of much size; big; immense; enormous; expanded; -- opposed to small and little; as, a great house, ship, farm, plain, distance, length.
- Large in number; numerous; as, a great company, multitude, series, etc.
- Long continued; lengthened in duration; prolonged in time; as, a great while; a great interval.
- Superior; admirable; commanding; -- applied to thoughts, actions, and feelings.
- Endowed with extraordinary powers; uncommonly gifted; able to accomplish vast results; strong; powerful; mighty; noble; as, a great hero, scholar, genius, philosopher, etc.
- Holding a chief position; elevated: lofty: eminent; distingushed; foremost; principal; as, great men; the great seal; the great marshal, etc.
- Entitled to earnest consideration; weighty; important; as, a great argument, truth, or principle.
- Pregnant; big (with young).
- More than ordinary in degree; very considerable in degree; as, to use great caution; to be in great pain.
- Older, younger, or more remote, by single generation; -- often used before grand to indicate one degree more remote in the direct line of descent; as, great-grandfather (a grandfather's or a grandmother's father), great-grandson, etc.

Meaning of 'great' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . great [ n]
Meaning (1):
- a person who has achieved distinction and honor in some field
Example in sentence:
  • he is one of the greats of American music
2 . great [ s]
Meaning (2):
- remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree or magnitude or effect
Example in sentence:
  • a great crisis;
  • had a great stake in the outcome
Meaning (3):
- relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
Example in sentence:
  • a great delay;
  • a great juicy steak;
  • a great multitude;
  • a great ocean liner;
  • a great old oak;
  • the great auk
Meaning (4):
- of major significance or importance
Example in sentence:
  • a great work of art;
  • Einstein was one of the outstanding figures of the 20th centurey
Meaning (5):
- very good
Example in sentence:
  • a neat sports car;
  • had a great time at the party;
  • he did a bully job;
  • we had a grand old time;
  • you look simply smashing
Meaning (6):
- uppercase
Example in sentence:
  • capital A;
  • great A;
  • many medieval manuscripts are in majuscule script
Meaning (7):
- in an advanced stage of pregnancy
Example in sentence:
  • was big with child;
  • was great with child