Middle English Dictionary Entry
excellent adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | excellent adj. |
| Etymology | OF; L excellent-em ppl. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Of qualities: outstanding, surpassing, supreme; unexcelled, surpassing (beauty, wisdom, courage, mercy, etc.); great (renown); supreme (glory).
Associated quotations
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.150 : The excellent renoun Of themperours doghter.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1193 : A wyf he hadde of excellent beautee.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1987 : Heere may ye se how excellent franchise In wommen is.
- c1400(a1349) Rolle MPass.(1) (Cmb Ll.1.8:Horst.)89/42 : Þe dignyte so excellent,..by-twene two theuys þou hengyd on þe cros.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.438 : For al His vertu or his excellent prowesse.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Eph.1.19 : The excellent [WB(1): ouersemynge] greetnesse of his vertu.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Eph.3.19 : The charite of Crist, more excellent [L supereminentem] than science.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)211/7 : His excellent mercy & habundant grace.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Benedictus DDS (LdMisc 683)29 : God gaff..Absolon excellent ffayrnesse.
- c1450(c1390) Chaucer Ven.(Benson-Robinson)74 : Princesse, receyveth this compleynt in gre Unto your excelent benignite.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.DJoos (Trin-C R.3.21(1))12 : I beseche for thyne excellent glory.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)325/3 : Ȝowre excellente wisdame bothe to god and to þe worlde.
2.
Of persons and gods: outstanding, of high rank, noble, illustrious, glorious; excellent (poet), worthy (knight), (person) of high rank, illustrious (ruler), glorious (divinity).
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.341 : Plato was most excellent among Socrates disciples.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.15 : Ther was nowher..So excellent a lord in alle thyng.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.38 : It moste been a rethor excellent..If he sholde hire discryuen euery part.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.145 : Youre excellente doghter.
- (1420) MSS PRO in App.Bk.Lond.E.299 : The most excellent Prince Charles our fadir of France.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)219 : He shuld be Most excellent be craft of Rethorik.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ecclus.24.11 : Y trad bi vertu on the neckis of alle excelent men and meke.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)128/27 : Þe fissches of the see comen to maken him homage as the most noble & excellent kyng of the world.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3781 : Oure excellente knyghttez.
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)17 : Than oon þat was more excellent þan anoþer spake first.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)9203 : Most exilent of other, onerable of kyn, Of Rent & of Riches, rankir þan I.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2433 : Venus the vertuus was verely the fairest, Most excelent of other.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)67 : This most excellent Persone, our Souuerayn Lord!
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)358/91 : Heyl, excellent prynces mary most pure.
- a1500 Lydg.LOL (Adv 19.3.1)91 : Thys is the name..Most excellent and most of dygnyte, The name of names sacryd from eterne.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)422 : Thou [Mary] arte with god moste excelente.
3.
Of things and actions: good, excellent, noble, refined; excellent, superior, or refined in quality or character; -- ?also as noun, a praiseworthy action; good or refined (way of doing something); precious (stone); majestic (mountain).
Associated quotations
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Cor.12.31 : I schewe to ȝou a more excellent or worthi weye.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.1043 : This holy preyere that is so excellent and digne.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)168b/a : Mount Syon was ful hiȝe and ful excellent [L magne altitudinis et sublimitatis].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)205a/a : Þis stoon..is so noble and excellent he is y cleped gemma gemmarum.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)68a/a : His [man's] makynge & creacioun [i.e. begetting] is more excellent þanne makinge of oþir beestis.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)131a/b : Fyre is a sensible body more excellent and subtile þan alle oþir bodyly þinges, and is next þe spiritual kynde.
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)1 Cor.12.31 : Y wole schewe ȝow a more excellent weye.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)185 : His preier was þe sonner and in þe excellenter maner herd and sped.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.132 : Þing þat is most excellent and beste Most nede be worschipfull.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)64/3 : In all estates the wourshipfull men worke th'excellentes and the witty excercyses.
4.
Great or extreme (effort, hardship, suffering, poverty).
Associated quotations
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1:Compston)747 : Freris..owen to lyue..furþere fro þe world in wilful & excellent povert.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)281 : Þese werkis..mowe not be doon so ofte..wiþoute excellent labour and bodily moving in werynes.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)57/19 : Forto..folewe þe doom of resoun in taking and bering..excellent labouris and excellent peynful dedis for þe seruice [etc.].
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)181/24 : Þe passion of þe blessid marter..passingely excellent in the peyne and bitternes of passion.