greater Definition

great
adj greater, greatest

1. Outstandingly talented and much admired and respected.

Thesaurus: remarkable, eminent, exalted, renowned, celebrated, august, majestic, dignified; Antonym: obscure, anonymous.
2. Very large in size, quantity, intensity or extent.

Thesaurus: large, huge, immense, enormous, gigantic, tremendous, vast, bulky, massive, colossal, mammoth; Antonym: small.
3. (added to the name of a large city) indicating the wider area surrounding the city, sometimes including other boroughs, etc, as well as the city itself.

Example: Greater Glasgow
Example: Greater Manchester
Form: greater
4. biol.
Larger in size than others of the same kind, species, etc.
Example: great tit
Form: greater (also)
5. Indicating a family relationship that is one generation more remote than that of the base word.

Example: great-grandmother
Example: great-great-grandson
6. colloq
Very enjoyable; excellent or splendid.
7. colloq
Clever; talented.
Thesaurus: excellent, exceptional, superb, fabulous, fantastic, marvellous, stupendous, good, fine, first-rate, outstanding; Antonym: mediocre.
Form: great at something (also)
8. colloq
Very suitable or useful.
Form: great for something (also)
9. Most important.

Example: the great advantage of it
10. Enthusiastic; keen.

Example: a great reader
11. colloq
Used to emphasize other adjectives describing size, especially big.
Example: a great big dog
12. In names and titles: indicating an importance or reputation of the highest degree.

Example: Alexander the Great
Form: the Great
13a. colloq
The best in their field;
Form: the greatest
13b. colloq
A marvellous person or thing.
Form: the greatest
14. old use
Used in various expressions of surprise
Example: Great Scott!

noun

1. A person who has achieved lasting fame, deservedly or not.

Example: one of the all-time greats
2a. The final honours School of Classics and Philosophy or of Modern Philosophy at Oxford University;

Form: Greats
2b. The final examination in these courses.

Form: Greats

adverb

1. colloq
Very well.

Derivative: greatly
adverb

Derivative: greatness
noun

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon.