Magnificence
/ˈmæɡ.nə.fɪ.səns/noun
The quality of being impressively beautiful, grand, or splendid.
Did you know?Magnificence comes from Latin magnus (“great”) + facere (“to make”), so at its core it means something like “the act of making great,” a reminder that grandeur was once treated as a form of power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meg-
“to be great, large”
Latin
Latin
magnus
“great, large, important”
Latin
Latin
magnificus
“doing great things; splendid, noble”
Old French
Old French
magnificence
“splendor, grandeur, nobility”
Middle English
English
magnificence
“greatness, stateliness, splendor”
Modern English
English
magnificence
“impressive beauty or grandeur”