Factsheet
What does the word greater mean?
There are 15 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word greater, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
greater has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
anatomy (Middle English) obstetrics (Middle English) astronomy (mid 1500s) music (late 1500s)
How common is the word greater?
About 20occurrences per million words in modern written English
See frequency
How is the word greater pronounced?
British English
/ˈɡreɪtə/
GRAY-tuh
U.S. English
/ˈɡreɪdər/
GRAY-duhr
See pronunciation
Where does the word greater come from?
Earliest known use
Old English
The earliest known use of the word greater is in the Old English period (pre-1150).
greater is of multiple origins. Partly a word inherited from Germanic. Partly formed within English, by derivation.
Etymons: great adj., ‑er suffix3.
See etymology
Nearby entries
- great diving beetle, n.1864–
- Great Dog, n.?1530–
- great dozen, n.1474–
- Great Duchess, n.1601–
- Great Duke, n.1555–
- great egret, n.1785–
- greaten, v.c1390–
- greatened, adj.1647–
- greatening, n.1614–
- greatening, adj.1678–
- greater, adj., adv., & n.Old English–
- Greater Asianism, n.1933–
- greater celandine, n.1569–
- greater circle, n.1639–1728
- Greater Feria, n.1763–
- greater forkbeard, n.1769–
- greater good, n.1740–
- greater Jihad, n.1912–
- greater maple, n.1669–1921
- greater nobility, n.1607–
- greater omentum, n.1804–
Browse more nearby entries
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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