Definitions: (1) having distinctive importance; momentous; renowned; (2) marked by nobility of thought or action; distinguished; dignified (3) unusual in ability of achievement; highly gifted; illustrious; superior; eminent; (4) impressive; remarkable; grand (5) proficient; skillful; (6) excellent; splendid; fine; (7) enthusiastic
Synonyms: celebrated, extraordinary, majestic, powerful
Quotes:
• To be great is to be Godlike. And since the quality of greatness is wholly determined by the content of goodness, it follows that, even in your present human estate, if you can through grace become good, you are thereby becoming great. (28:6.22) — The Urantia Book {1955}
• Greatness is a transitory experience. It is never consistent. It depends in part upon the myth-making imagination of humankind. The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the myth he is in. He must reflect what is projected upon him. And he must have a strong sense of the sardonic. This is what uncouples him from belief in his own pretensions. The sardonic is all that permits him to move within himself. Without this quality, even occasional greatness will destroy a man. — Frank Herbert (1920-1986) Dune {1965}
Note: The word ‘sardonic’ is said to derive from the sardonion plant that grows in Sardinia, which when eaten produces convulsive laughter that can end in death.