English → Latin
“excel” in Latin
excellōto elevate, raise up; to rise, elevate oneself; to exult, be elatedpraecellōto surpass, outdo; to excel (with per or ablative)ēmineōto stand out, project, protrude; to be prominent, stand out in relief; to be or become conspicuous or prominent, stand o
The English word excel itself goes back to Latin excellō.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
excel
excellere (in anything, in aliqua re; e.g., in arte; or aliqua re, if it is that by which he excels, animi magnitudine, etc.: anybody, alicui [e.g., dignitate principibus excellere, Cic.]); among, inter aliquos; also to excel anybody, praeter aliquem excellere; super omnes excellere [☞ not prae aliquo, which Muretus uses.] : ☞ no perfect excellui, except Gell., (Use florui, vigui, eminui, praestiti, etc.): praecellere (Lucr. and Plin., Tac., aliquem, alicui, inter alios): eminere (stand forth conspicuously as above others; in aliqua re; aliqua re inter aliquos, Quint., and absolutely). (The words are found in this connection and order.) excellere atque eminere (absolutely): praestare (stand before; in anything, aliqua re; anybody, aliquem or alicui, Vid: Herz., B.G. 8, 6): conspicuum esse, conspici (to attract the observation in an unusual degree, of persons and things; Vid: Brem., Nep., Att., 13, 5): aliqua re insigniri (to be made remarkable by, Plin., etc.; but the word used by Cic.): superare (to surpass, aliquem aliqua re, Cic.): exsuperare (Liv. etc., not only to equal you, but, if possible, to excel you, tuas laudes non assequi solum, sed etiam exsuperare, Liv., 28, 43, 47): to excel in bravery, virtute praecipuum esse; other men in virtue, virtute ceteros mortales praestare. To excel in anything, excellere in re (e.g., in arte aliqua).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for excel?
- The usual Latin words for “excel” are excellō, praecellō, ēmineō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.