Greatness is the quality of being outstanding and important. Achieve greatness, a mark of greatness, thrust upon greatness.
Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them comes from Twelfth Night and is quoted more than almost any other line about it. The word judges importance rather than goodness — a great villain is still great.
1noungreatnessThe quality of being outstanding and important.
“Even as a boy, he dreamed of greatness and fame.”
greatness is a quality.
Old English greatnes is great plus -ness. Great first meant thick or coarse, and the sense of importance grew later.
Old English
grēatnes
Middle English
gretnesse
English, today
greatness
From Middle English gretnesse, gretnes, greetnesse, from Old English grēatnes. Equivalent to great + -ness.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA