Greater

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈɡɹeɪtə/

Definitions

1. Being larger in size, number, or importance compared to another ; exceeding a given limit or value
2. Having a higher rank, amount, or extent relative to something else ; surpassing a particular measure or threshold
3. Referring to something of superior size, quantity, or significance ; going beyond a defined level or standard

Etymology: "Greater" is the comparative form of "great," so its history is really the history of its base word. "Great" comes from Old English "great," meaning thick, large in size, or coarse, a sense that survives in phrases about large amounts of material. Over the centuries the word broadened from physical bulk to size in general, then to importance, rank, and intensity, which is why "greater" now serves for comparisons of nearly anything: a greater distance, a greater sum, a greater good. The comparative itself is an older and more regular pattern in English. Old English formed comparatives by adding a suffix to the adjective, and "greater" descends from that pattern, with the vowel shifting over time to the modern pronunciation. Because it is inflected, its meaning is simply "more great" in whatever sense "great" carries in context.

Synonyms: larger, bigger, superior, higher, more significant

Antonyms: smaller, lesser, inferior, lower, diminutive