magnificentadj.n.
/maɡˈnɪfᵻs(ə)nt/, /məɡˈnɪfᵻs(ə)nt/, U.S. /mæɡˈnɪfəsənt/ A. adj.† 5. Characterized by expenditure or munificence on a great scale; extremely lavish or munificent. Obsolete.
1. Of an immaterial thing: imposing, exalted, sublime.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > ornateness > [adjective] > lofty or grandiloquent
magnificenta1460
statelya1525
magnifical1533
tragical1533
lofty1565
tragic1566
sublime1586
over-high1587
magnific1589
heroic1590
buskina1593
grandiloquous1593
full-mouthed1594
high-pitched1594
buskined1595
full-mouth1595
high-borne1596
altisonant1612
Roman1619
high-sounding1624
transcendent1631
magniloquent1640
loud1651
altiloquent1656
grandiloquent1656
largiloquent1656
altisonous1661
tall1670
elevate1673
grandisonous1674
sounding1683
exalted1684
grandisonant1684
grandific1727
magniloquous1727
orotund1799
superb1825
spread eagle1839
grandiose1840
magnisonanta1843
togated1868
elevated1875
mandarin1959
a1460 Knyghthode & Bataile (Pembr. Cambr. 243) 133 Knyghthode an ordir is, the premynent..as magnificent As can be thought.
a1460 Knyghthode & Bataile (Pembr. Cambr. 243) 1710 Here is the day of conflict vncerteyn..Lord, make in vs magnificent thi name.
1574 J. Baret Aluearie H sig. H.h.iiv/2 The magnificent & heroicall vertues of the hasellwood.
1639 N. N. tr. J. Du Bosc Compl. Woman i. 3 There needes but a pleasing voice, a magnificent tone, a sweet accent,..to charme those who hearken.
1665 R. Boyle Disc. iv. v, in Occas. Refl. sig. F8v Making good that magnificent Assertion of the Apostle, That all things work together for good to them that love God.
1701 Acct. Life in T. Stanley Hist. Philos. (ed. 3) sig. a2v Thales,..was thought to deserve the Magnificent Title of Wise for his Noble Discoveries.
1748 D. Hume Brit. Govt. in Ess. ix. 72 These Considerations are apt to make one entertain a very magnificent Idea of the British Spirit and Love of Liberty.
1781 W. Cowper Table Talk 593 Language..Was natural as is the flowing stream, And yet magnificent, a God the theme.
1834 Fraser's Mag. 9 42 The magnificent schemes of optimistical theorists.
1904 Collier's 7 May 7/3 The old American dream of a magnificent continental sovereignty and hemispheric hegemony.
1967 Canad. Med. Assoc. Jrnl. 97 309 Britain's National Health Service was the symbol of a magnificent and passionately paternal conception.
1987 Sunday Express Mag. 20 Sept. 41 For him that jubilant moment was certainly not luck but the culmination of a magnificent obsession.
2012 R. Helland Magnificent Surrender iv. 50 You who dwells in magnificent perfection, Illumine my mind with resplendent beauty.
2. † b. Proud, haughty; arrogantly ambitious. Obsolete.† c. [After post-classical Latin magnificus.] As the rendering of the customary title of certain foreign officials and official bodies. Obsolete.
a. Of a person, personal attribute, etc.: characterized by greatness of achievement or by conduct befitting high position. Now only in the Magnificent [after post-classical Latin magnificus (see magnifico n. and adj.)] , used as postmodifier in titles to designate a particular distinguished ruler or (colloquial) any other distinguished person.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > fame or renown > famous or eminent person > [adjective]
mereeOE
athelOE
couthOE
brightOE
namecundc1175
outnumenc1175
noble?c1225
ketec1275
sheenc1275
tirfulc1275
glorious13..
losedc1305
of great renownc1330
glorifieda1340
worthly or worthy in wonea1350
clearc1374
nameda1382
solemna1387
renomeda1393
famous?a1400
renomé?a1400
renowneda1400
notedc1400
of (great, high, etc.) name?c1430
celebrate?1440
namely1440
famosec1449
honourable?c1450
notedc1450
parent?c1450
glorificatec1460
heroical?a1475
insignite?a1475
magnific1490
well-fameda1492
exemie1497
singular1497
preclare1503
magnificential1506
laureate1508
illustre?a1513
illustred1512
magnificent1513
preclared1530
grand1542
celebrated1549
heroicc1550
lustrantc1550
magnifical1557
illustrate1562
expectablec1565
ennobled1571
laurel1579
nominated1581
famosed1582
perspicuous1582
big1587
famed1595
uplifted1596
illustrious1598
celebrousc1600
luculent1600
celebrious1604
fameful1605
famoused1606
renownful1606
bruitful1609
eminent1611
insignious1620
clarousa1636
far-fameda1640
top1647
grandee1648
signalized1652
noscible1653
splendid1660
voiced1661
gloried1671
laurelled1683
distinguished1714
distinct1756
lustrious1769
trumpeted1775
spiry1825
world-famous1832
galactic1902
tycoonish1958
mega1987
society > society and the community > social class > nobility > title > title or form of address for persons of rank > [adjective] > specific epithets for persons of rank
goodOE
worshipful1398
the Greata1413
the Grand1426
honourablea1440
Right Honourable?1449
granda1460
Hon'ble?1541
Hon.1587
Right Hon.1587
Rt. Hon.1660
magnificent1717
1513 T. More in R. Grafton Chron. (1568) II. 878 Yet the King [sc. Henry VII] of his magnificent minde, pardoned the innocent and rurall people.
1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes ii. f. 255v Nothyng to a prince maye bee more magnificente or regall, then if the same dooe meliorate & bettre ye state of a dicion or royalme descended..to his possession.
1602 W. Warner Epitome Hist. Eng. in Albions Eng. (rev. ed.) 356 Of whom many, and some of them heere-borne Incolents, became afterwards the most magnificent of the Emperors.
1656 T. Blount Glossographia Magnificent,..that atchieveth worthy acts,..acting great matters.
1717 Hist. Acct. Hungary 332 This was formerly the Bulwark of Hungary, 'till taken by Soliman the Magnificent.
1795 W. Roscoe (title) The Life of Lorenzo de' Medici, called The Magnificent.
1875 C. D. E. Fortnum Maiolica xi. 107 Lorenzo the magnificent.
1990 R. Olver Making Champions i. ii. 19 They see in Mike Ricci the potential..to be better than Steve Yzerman, maybe in the same league as The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, or Mario the Magnificent.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pride > [adjective]
highOE
rankOE
proudOE
quaint?c1225
stoutc1315
proud-heartedc1400
gobbedc1440
pridyc1485
high-minded?1503
superb1561
proud-heart1591
tiptoe1593
sublime1596
high-headed1599
magnificent1603
side1673
vaunty1724
perked-up1754
spicy1768
jelly1828
Latin1914
1603 R. Knolles Gen. Hist. Turkes 732 This Perenus was one of the greatest peeres of Hvngarie, but of a most haughtie and magnificent mind.
1642 Sir T. Browne Religio Medici (new ed.) 37 That doctrine of Epicurus, that denyed the providence of God, was no Atheisme, but a magnificent and high-strained conceit of his Majesty, which he deemed too sublime to mind the triviall actions of those inferior creatures.
1788 A. Hamilton in A. Hamilton et al. Federalist I. xxii. 142 The ambitious aims of those men, who may indulge magnificent schemes of personal aggrandizement.
1848 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby (new ed.) Pref. p. v A magnificent high-handed laissez-aller neglect.
1861 H. A. Jacobs Incidents Life Slave Girl xxiii. 187 Not wishing to be outdone in Christian charity, she also sallied forth, in magnificent condescension, and stood by the bedside of her who had loved her.
1889 C. S. Parnell in Birmingham Daily Post 20 Dec. 5/6 That magnificent cocksureism which Englishmen always exhibit when they are dealing with questions of which they have absolutely no knowledge.
ΚΠ
1764 Ann. Reg. 1763 86 The proceedings of the magnificent council [of Geneva].
3. Of a state of existence: characterized by grandeur or stateliness. Of a person: characterized by display of wealth and ceremonial pomp.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beauty > splendour > [adjective] > magnificent
lordlylOE
richc1275
prouda1300
noblec1300
gloriousc1315
reala1325
rialc1330
stouta1350
solemnc1386
royalc1400
pompousc1425
statelyc1425
lordlike1488
magnific1490
of state1498
magnificenta1530
pompatic1535
magnificala1538
princely1539
gorgeous?1542
regal1561
superbious?1566
surly1566
splendent1567
heroical1577
superbous1581
sumptuous1594
pompatical1610
pompal1616
fastidious1638
grand1673
splendid1685
grandific1727
grandiose1818
splendiferous1827
splendacious1843
magnolious1863
the mind > emotion > pride > ostentation > splendour, magnificence, or pomp > [adjective]
wlonkOE
kine-wurtheOE
reala1325
rialc1330
royalc1400
wlonkfulc1400
statelyc1415
pompousc1425
imperial?1435
pontificalc1440
sumptuous1472
magnific1490
magnificenta1530
statelike1534
pompatic1535
magnificala1538
princely1539
portly1548
regal1561
queen-like?1571
haughty1585
portlike1587
Minerva-like1598
lustrous1605
pompatical1610
pontificial1613
commandinga1616
pompal1616
grand1622
splendid1624
pontifician1629
regifical1656
queenly1791
presidential1804
angeliferous1837
slashing1854
sultanesque1862
pageanted1902
a1530 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfeccyon (1531) iii. f. CCiii Delapsed & commynge downe from his magnifycent glory.
1585 T. Washington tr. N. de Nicolay Nauigations Turkie i. ix. 12 b Such was the beginning of the magnificent estate of Cariedin Barberousse.
1706 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) Magnificent, that lives in great State; stately, noble, great, fine, costly, lofty.
1709 F. Atterbury Serm. St. Brigit's 4 Whether we are not too Magnificent and Sumptuous in our Table, and Attendance.
1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. vii. 183 The magnificent king who, in more than one sense, represented France.
1904 L. F. Baum Marvelous Land of Oz 123 ‘The Emperor's state is always magnificent,’ said the man.
1977 Prologue (Nat. Archives) Spring 15/2 Their great wealth enabled the wealthholding elite to maintain a magnificent lifestyle, characterized by palatial residences, sumptuous consumption, [etc.].
2006 J. Brotton Sale Late King's Goods i. 49 Aristotle's fifteenth-century Italian translators provided dynasties like the Medici with an explanation of how magnificence could represent the public good, as a sign of the authority and fine judgement of the magnificent ruler.
4. Sumptuously constructed or decorated. Also, in wider sense: imposingly beautiful, splendid.
ΚΠ
1533 J. Bellenden tr. Livy Hist. Rome (1901) I. i. xvii. 97 Þe wallis war schot out with mare magnificent boundis þan afore.
1577 W. Harrison Hist. Descr. Islande Brit. iii. iv. f. 103/1, in R. Holinshed Chron. I A kirtle, gowne, cloke, chaperon, coler & other solemne and magnificent apparell [worn by the Knights of the Garter].
1658 J. Burbury tr. G. Gualdo Priorato Hist. Christina Queen of Swedland 109 Of a modern structure and one of the magnificentest fabriques of Europe.
1701 J. Addison Let. from Italy 72 When Rome's exalted beauties I descry, Magnificent in piles of ruine lye.
a1704 T. Brown Acct. Conversat. Liberty of Conscience in Duke of Buckingham Misc. Wks. (1705) II. i. 122 She did not delight in gaudy Liveries, and what the World calls a magnificient Equipage.
1725 D. Defoe New Voy. round World ii. 98 Two Rooms..very magnificent in their Way.
1757 E. Burke Philos. Enq. Sublime & Beautiful ii. §15. 60 A great profusion of any things which are splendid or valuable in themselves, is magnificent.
1831 M. Edgeworth Let. 1 Mar. (1971) 486 Lady Wellesley is not nearly so tall and magnificent a looking person as I had expected.
1841 E. W. Lane tr. Thousand & One Nights I. 107 She then arose, and attired herself in the most magnificent of her apparel.
1894 J. T. Fowler in St. Adamnan Vita S. Columbae Introd. 51 Lord Dunraven's magnificent work entitled Notes on Irish Architecture.
1906 J. Galsworthy Man of Prop. 47 She was sobrely magnificent this evening in black bombazine.
1922 S. Lewis Babbitt xiv. 187 Our magnificent new hotels and banks and the paintings and carved marble in their lobbies.
1987 R. P. Jhabvala Three Continents ii. 166 In the park were these magnificent old trees.
2008 E. S. Farrar Magnificent Mile Lights Festival ii. 27 The ever-more-impressive streetscape enticed generations of Chicagoans and visitors to make a trip to this magnificent street part of their holiday celebration.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > giving > liberal giving > [adjective]
custyeOE
room-handeda1200
largea1225
free?c1225
plenteousc1350
bounteousc1374
liberalc1384
free-hearteda1398
ungnedea1400
royalc1405
opena1425
plentifula1475
profuse?a1475
ungrighta1475
lavishc1475
almifluent1477
prodigous1477
frank1484
bountiful1508
largifluent?a1525
munificent1565
magnificent1577
largeous1583
munifical1583
magnifical1586
free-handed1592
frolic1593
open-handed1593
magnific?1594
prodigal1595
goodwillya1598
communicativea1602
real1602
prodig1605
unniggard1605
generous1615
open-hearteda1617
large-handeda1628
unniggardly1628
fluent1633
profusive1638
numerous1655
largifical1656
insordid1660
unsparing1667
dispensive1677
expensive1678
wasteful1701
flush1703
unboundeda1704
genteel1741
munific1745
magnifique1751
ungrudginga1774
unstinting1845
brickish1860
flaithulach1876
princely1889
outgiving1896
sharing1922
two-handed1929
1577 E. Hellowes tr. A. de Guevara Chron. 10 I admonishe..great lordes, to be magnificent in their giftes.
1593 R. Harvey Philadelphus Ep. Ded. sig. A2v Thus trusting to your Lordships magnificent..fauour.
1632 P. Massinger Emperour of East ii. i. sig. D4 A Prince is neuer so magnificent, As when hee's sparing to inrich a few With th'iniuries of many.
a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) Mddx. 177 Hampton Court was built by..Cardinal Woolsey, once so magnificent in his expences.
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ix. 153 Man he made, and for him built Magnificent this World, and Earth his seat. View more context for this quotation
1702 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion I. i. 46 Nor had his Heir cause to complain,..though his Expences had been very magnificent,..considering the wealth he left in Jewels, Plate, and Furniture.
1737 W. Whiston tr. Josephus Antiq. Jews xv. ix, in tr. Josephus Genuine Wks. 497 Herod..bestowed presents on every one..using his magnificent disposition, so as his Kingdom might be the better secured.
1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. xi. 24 He received from the private bounty of the magnificent Chamberlain a pension equal to the salary which had been withdrawn.
1868 H. H. Milman Ann. St. Paul's Cathedral 332 He was munificent, almost magnificent.
6. Used to express enthusiasm or admiration: excellent, splendid, fine.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > excellence > [adjective] > and splendid
wlonkOE
clear1362
wlonkfulc1400
royalc1425
imperial?1435
magnificousa1474
splendidious?a1475
triumphant1494
glorious1622
aureate1625
candid1648
splendid1653
magnifico1654
magnificent1664
dazzling1749
splendiferous1827
angeliferous1837
million-dollar1854
purple1894
colossal1895
(like) a million dollars (also bucks)1911
swell1926
1664 S. Butler Hudibras: Second Pt. ii. i. 19 He..Departs not meanly proud, and boasting, Of his magnificent Rib-roasting.
1691 Long Vacation Ded. 2 Thou..hadst such Magnificent Puns, such Exalted Clinches, such Caterquibbles and Cunundrums.
a1704 T. Brown Oration in Praise Drunkenness in Wks. (1707) I. i. 54 Pray take notice of his Belly, how plump and round it is? Of what a magnificent Circumference?
1778 F. Burney Let. Sept. in Early Jrnls. & Lett. (1994) 148 Our Roasting is not magnificent, for we have no Jack.
1821 M. Wilmot Let. 17 Jan. in More Lett. (1935) 92 The most magnificent supper that Gourmands ever guttled.
1858 J. Ruskin Arrows of Chace (1880) I. 130 All the drawings so kept are in magnificent preservation.
1884 Pall Mall Gaz. 26 July 8/2 The Artists' team have made a magnificent target, and are scarcely likely to be beaten.
1915 J. Turner Let. 15 July in C. Warren Somewhere in France (2019) 17 We talked of..the magnificent despatch of Sir Ian Hamilton.
1934 R. Lynd Both Sides of Road vii. 47 But, after all, what really happened was that a magnificent attack was beaten by a still more magnificent defence.
1952 P. Bowles Let it come Down vii. 82 I remember my father—what a magnificent man he was!
1981 M. Kenyon Zigzag xx. 131 Three slabs of still soggily magnificent date cake.
B. n.† 1. An eminent personage. Obsolete.† 2. slang. In plural with article. A mood of haughty indignation. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > fame or renown > famous or eminent person > [noun]
kingeOE
master-spiritc1175
douzepersc1330
sire1362
worthya1375
lantern1382
sira1400
greatc1400
noblec1400
persona1425
lightc1425
magnate?a1439
worthyman1439
personagec1460
giant1535
honourablec1540
triedc1540
magnifico1573
ornament1573
signor1583
hero1592
grandee1604
prominent1608
name1611
magnificent1612
choice spirita1616
illustricity1637
luminary1692
lion1715
swell1786
notable1796
top-sawyer1826
star1829
celebrity1831
notability1832
notoriety1841
mighty1853
tycoon1861
reputation1870
public figure1871
star turn1885
headliner1896
front-pager1899
legend1899
celeb1907
big name1909
big-timer1917
Hall of Famer1948
megastar1969
1612 W. Parkes Curtaine-drawer 12 The Courts & mansions of the Potentates and Magnificents of the World.
ΚΠ
1836 F. Marryat Mr. Midshipman Easy III. i. 18 Nevertheless, Jack walked his first watch in the ‘magnificents’, as all middies do when they cannot go on shore.
3. An animal, esp. a bird, with a common name beginning ‘magnificent’.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > animal body > [noun] > animal of imposing or splendid appearance
magnificent1931
1931 L. S. Crandall Paradise Quest v. 100 In the mountains, magnificents are the most abundant of the birds of paradise.
1931 Times Lit. Suppl. 5 Nov. 859/3 The first day's work produced three six-plumes (Parotia lawesi lawesi) and two or three magnificents (Diphyllodes magnificus hunsterni)—the latter, a lovely little bird hardly as large as an American robin.
1989 Sci. Amer. Dec. 69 (caption) Male and female magnificents..are similar in size.
Compounds
C1.
magnificent-looking adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beauty > pleasing appearance > [adjective]
faireOE
comelyOE
winlyOE
goodlyOE
hendya1250
hendc1275
quaintc1300
seemlyc1305
tidya1325
avenant1340
honestc1384
sightya1387
properc1390
well beseena1393
queema1400
speciousa1400
featousc1400
parisantc1400
rekenc1400
well-favoureda1438
wellc1450
spectable?a1475
delicatec1480
jollya1500
bonny?a1513
snog1513
viewlyc1536
goodlikec1550
sightly1555
sightful1565
beholdinga1586
eyesome?1587
decent1600
vage1604
prospicuous1605
eyely1614
fashionable1630
well-looking1638
softa1643
fineish1647
well-looked1660
of a good (also ugly, etc.) look1700
likely-looked1709
sonsy1720
smiling1725
aspectable1731
smirkya1758
likely-looking1771
respectable1776
magnificent-looking1790
producible1792
presentable1800
good-looking1804
nice-looking1807
bonnyish1855
spick1882
eyeable1887
aegyo2007
1790 M. Berry Let. 6 Nov. in Extracts Jrnls. & Corr. (1865) I. 241 There are a number of magnificent-looking palaces.
1869 A. Trollope Phineas Finn II. xlviii. 77 Oh, I have seen him,—a magnificent-looking man!
2000 Dominion (Wellington, N.Z.) (Electronic ed.) 2 Aug. 48 She's a magnificent looking filly and I really rate her.
C2. In the names of animals, esp. birds, having an imposing or splendid appearance (cf. superb adj. 1c).
a.
magnificent scallop n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > invertebrates > subkingdom Metazoa > grade Triploblastica or Coelomata > class Pelecypoda or Conchifera > [noun] > section Asiphonida > family Pectinidae > genus Pecten > member of
scallopc1440
oyster-scalp1552
clam1593
escallop1610
queen1803
quin1840
squin1864
queen scallop1955
queenie1972
magnificent scallop1990
1990 Scuba Times Mar. 30/3 Red-lipped batfish, ‘yellow’ black coral, magnificent scallops, red-spotted barnacle blennies, Galapagos sharks and endangered green sea turtles are only a few of the other marine anomalies you will encounter.
1991 Sea Frontiers Mar. 12/1 (caption) Bright blue eyes dot the mantle edges of a magnificent scallop (Lyropecten magnificus..), found in the Galapogos.
b.
magnificent bird of paradise n. [after French oiseau de Paradis magnifique (P. Sonnerat: see quot. 1776)] a bird of paradise, Diphyllodes magnificus, the male of which has a bright yellow crest, mantle, and wings, a glossy green chest, and two long curling tail filaments.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > order Passeriformes (singing) > larger song birds > [noun] > family Paradisaeidae (bird of paradise)
bird of paradise1569
paradise bird1617
magnificent bird of paradise1782
1776 P. Sonnerat Voyage à la Nouvelle Guinée xii. 163 Le cinquieme oiseau de Paradis, ou celui que je nommerai le Magnifique, est d'un tiers moins gros que le précédent.]
1782 J. Latham Gen. Synopsis Birds I. Pl. XIX (caption) Magnificent Bird of Paradise.
1931 L. S. Crandall Paradise Quest v. 100 Before the day was out we had received two more male six-plumes, as well as two or three of the species known as the magnificent bird of paradise.
1989 Sci. Amer. Dec. 71/3 The polygynous magnificent bird of paradise.
magnificent frigate bird n. the largest of the frigate birds, Fregata magnificens, found on the tropical and subtropical coasts of the Americas and on the Cape Verde Islands.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > order Pelecaniformes > [noun] > fregata aquila (frigate-bird) > types of
magnificent frigate bird1956
1956 R. T. Peterson & J. Fisher Wild Amer. xiii. 142 The magnificent frigate-birds..numbered about eighty.
1992 From Land Fall 10/2 The presence of magnificent frigatebirds soaring overhead reminds us this is the tropics.
magnificent fruit dove n. = wompoo n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > perching birds > order Columbiformes (pigeons, etc.) > [noun] > family Columbidae > genus Ptilinopis (wompoo)
wompoo1845
magnificent fruit pigeon1848
magnificent fruit dove1976
1976 E. S. Gruson Checklist Birds of World 42 Ptilinopus magnificus. Magnificent Fruit Dove.
magnificent fruit pigeon n. = wompoo n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > perching birds > order Columbiformes (pigeons, etc.) > [noun] > family Columbidae > genus Ptilinopis (wompoo)
wompoo1845
magnificent fruit pigeon1848
magnificent fruit dove1976
1848 J. Gould Birds Austral. V. (plate 58 ) Carpophaga magnifica. Magnificent Fruit Pigeon.
1940 B. O'Reilly Green Mountains 111 An occasional wampoo—that miracle of purple and green, to which the naturalist..has given the vernacular name of magnificent fruit pigeon.
1966 N. W. Cayley What Bird is That? (ed. 4) 23 Wompoo Pigeon... Also called Magnificent Fruit-Pigeon.
magnificent rifle bird n. a rifle bird of New Guinea and northern Queensland, Ptiloris magnificus, the male of which is black with a brilliant bluish-green throat patch.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > order Passeriformes (singing) > larger song birds > [noun] > family Paradisaeidae (bird of paradise) > genus Ptilorrhis (rifle-bird) > types of
magnificent rifle bird1855
1855 A. White Pop. Hist. Birds 58 If gorgeous plumage confer kingship on birds, the truly ‘magnificent Rifle-bird’ (Ptiloris magnifica)..may be regarded as a king of its family.
1890 Ibis 2 151 We came across the magnificent Rifle-bird (Ptilorhis magnifica) on Mount Kowald, as also on Mount Belford, at an altitude of 3000 feet and over.
1969 E. T. Gilliard Birds of Paradise & Bower Birds ix. 118 The Magnificent Rifle Bird has the distinction of being one of the two species of birds of paradise which is shared by both New Guinea and Australia.
magnificent spider n. the spider Dicrostichus magnificus of eastern Australia, noted for making spindle-shaped egg sacs several inches long.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Arachnida > [noun] > order Aranea > suborder Labidognatha or Dipneumones > member of family Argiopidae
retiary spider1658
geometrical spider1815
geometric spider1815
retiary1835
Epeirid1881
orb-weaver1883
magnificent spider1936
orb-web spider1945
orb spider1983
1936 K. C. McKeown Spider Wonders Austral. vi. 94 These spiders whose unobtrusive habits conceal behaviour perhaps unparalleled in the spider-world are the Magnificent Spider, her sister, the Hairy Imperial Spider, and the Orchard or Death's Head Spider.
1952 W. A. Beatty Unique to Austral. 63 The Magnificent spider..has a beautiful mosaic pattern with a finely sculptured royal crown upon its back... This spider comes out at night to feed upon night-flying moths.
1969 D. Clyne Guide Austral. Spiders 74 D. Magnificus..the Magnificent spider—is a rather lumpy-looking spider when at rest.
Derivatives
magˈnificentness n. the state or condition of being magnificent.
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society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > ornateness > [noun] > loftiness or grandiloquence
magnificence1481
stateliness1550
sublimity1581
grandiloquence1589
sublimenessa1599
magniloquency1615
magniloquence1623
elevationa1639
rotundity1655
grandiloquy1656
magniloquy1656
grandeur1657
loftiness1663
magnificentness1727
altiloquence1775
grandiosity1801
grandioso1816
grandiloquent1829
ororotundity1831
ororotundoism1840
orotundity1909
1727 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. II Magnificentness, magnificence.
2001 www.btchallenge.com 18 Dec. (O.E.D. Archive) The first big storm as we rounded Cape Horn and coming off deck feeling green but loving the magnificentness of the sheer power around us.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2000; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
† magnificentv.
Obsolete.
transitive. To make or proclaim great.Apparently an isolated use.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > majesty, glory, or grandeur > exaltation or glorification > exalt or glorify [verb (transitive)]
heavec825
higheOE
brightenOE
clarifya1340
glorifya1340
enhancec1374
stellifyc1384
biga1400
exalt?a1400
raisea1400
shrinea1400
to bear up?a1425
enhighc1440
erect?a1475
assumec1503
amount1523
dignifya1530
to set up1535
extol1545
enthronize1547
augment1567
sublimate?1567
sublime1568
assumptc1571
begoda1576
royalize1589
suscitate1598
swell1601
consecrate1605
realize1611
reara1616
sphere1615
ingreata1620
superexalta1626
soara1627
ascend1628
rise1628
embroider1629
apotheose1632
grandize1640
engreaten1641
engrandizea1652
mount1651
intronificate1653
magnificent1656
superposit1661
grandify1665
heroify1677
apotheosize1695
enthrone1699
aggrandize1702
pantheonize1801
hoist1814
princify1847
queen1880
heroize1887
1656 S. Hunton Golden Law 2 His mercy is above all his works, and doth magnificent him.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2000; most recently modified version published online September 2019).
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adj.n.a1460
v.1656