Usage patterns 偉い 大だい な 〈 人ひと 〉 a great person (historically significant figure)
He was a great figure who left his mark on history.
偉い 大だい な 業ぎょう 績せき を 残のこ す to leave a great achievement or legacy
She left a great achievement in the field of science.
〈 人ひと 〉 の 偉い 大だい さ the greatness of someone
His greatness is still talked about by many people today.
偉い 大だい な 指し 導どう 者しゃ a great leader
He was a great leader beloved by the people.
Kanji 偉 admirable, greatness, remarkable Related words· 6 素晴らしい is a common, everyday word for 'wonderful' or 'splendid', while 偉大 implies a more profound, historical, or monumental greatness.
立派 praises something as admirably fine or dignified in its own right, whereas 偉大 stresses lasting, large-scale significance or historical stature.
偉い is a simpler, more colloquial word for someone's admirable status or achievement, while 偉大 is a weightier term reserved for truly monumental greatness.
大きい simply means 'big' in size or scale, whereas 偉大 adds a qualitative judgment of greatness or excellence.
Show 2 more Show fewer 偉大 describes greatness of character or achievement (as in 偉大な人物 ), while 大いなる is a broader literary term for 'great' or 'large' applied to things like nature or power.
偉大 describes greatness of achievement or character in a serious, formal register, while グレート is a light, casual loanword used for anything impressive.
Etymology Composed of 偉 (great, admirable) and 大 (big, large). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination has long been used to express exceptional greatness.
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