ENGLISH
REFERENCE

excellent

adj.
US //ˈɛksəɫənt// UK //ˈɛksələnt// ex·cel·lent
  1. 1 very good (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    extremely good or of very high quality.

    possessing outstanding qualities or superior merit; exceptionally good of its kind.

    Example

    The hotel provided excellent service during our entire stay.

    Example

    The research team produced an excellent report that clearly outlined the potential risks and benefits of the new medical procedure.

    Usage

    Usually functions as a non-gradable adjective; it is rarely used with 'very' but often pairs with 'absolutely'.
    Pitfall
    The food was very excellent.
    The food was absolutely excellent.

    Because 'excellent' already means 'very good', you should use 'absolutely' or 'really' instead of 'very' to add emphasis.

Origin

From Middle English excellent, from Old French excellent, from Latin excellēns (“elevated, exalted”), present participle of excellō (“elevate, exult”), equivalent to excel + -ent.

Word family

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