magnificence

English

Alternative forms

• magnificency (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English magnificence, from Old French magnificence, from Latin magnificentia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mæɡˈnɪfɪsəns/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: mag‧nif‧i‧cence

Noun

magnificence (countable and uncountable, plural magnificences)

1. grandeur, brilliance, lavishness or splendor
   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene i:

     all fleſh quakes at your magnificence.

2. The act of doing what is magnificent; the state or quality of being magnificent.

Translations

grandeur

Catalan: magnificència f Finnish: suurenmoisuus (fi) Greek: Ancient: μεγαλοπρέπεια f (megaloprépeia) Hindi: भव्यता (hi) f (bhavyatā) Latin: magnificentia f Malayalam: ഉജ്ജ്വലത (ujjvalata) Maori: marutunatanga Middle English: deynte Polish: świetność (pl) f Portuguese: magnificência (pt) f Spanish: magnificencia (es) f

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin magnificentia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.ɲi.fi.sɑ̃s/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

magnificence f (plural magnificences)

1. magnificence
2. grandiose liberality

Related terms

• magnificent
• magnifique

Further reading

• “magnificence”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.