Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A person of distinguished rank, importance, or appearance.
  • noun A nobleman of the Venetian Republic.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A title of courtesy formerly given to Venetian noblemen; hence, a grandee; a man of high rank or pretensions; a great man.
  • noun A by-name for the rector of a German university, who is entitled to be addressed as your Magnificence. See magnificence, 3.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A grandee or nobleman of Venice; -- so called in courtesy.
  • noun A rector of a German university.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete A grandee or nobleman of Venice.
  • noun obsolete A rector of a German university.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a person of distinguished rank or appearance

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Italian, magnificent, magnifico, from Latin magnificus; see magnific.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Italian

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Examples

  • Posterity has agreed to call Lorenzo "the Magnificent", but this is, in part, a misunderstanding of the Italian title "magnifico", which was given to all the members of his family, and, indeed, during the fifteenth century, applied to most persons of importance in Italy to whom the higher title of "Excellence" did not pertain.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mass Music-Newman 1840-1916 1913

  • Venetian senator, the gloomy "magnifico" of St. Mark, have consented to

    Memorials and Other Papers — Complete Thomas De Quincey 1822

  • Venetian senator, the gloomy "magnifico" of St. Mark, have consented to

    Memorials and Other Papers — Volume 1 Thomas De Quincey 1822

  • NO world records were set, but Wangaratta's Viva Italia festival will still go down in history for being "magnifico" at the weekend.

    The Border Mail 2009

  • No tiene verguenza el Presidente Lula, o el loco de Venezuela y muchos otros en similares puestos, hacerle reverencia a un dictador y su hermano, quienes se han apoderado de un pequeño y magnifico pais por los ultimos 50 años, sin permitir lo mas minimo de derecho humano (libertad) a ese pueblo.

    Global Voices in English » Brazil: “President Lula is a nerd” 2009

  • With their bright acidity and tantalizing bitter edge, Italian wines are magnifico with meals.

    The World's Best Food Wines Lettie Teague 2011

  • You may read it, he added like a magnifico who had bestowed a particular privilege upon one of his less-deserving followers.

    The Mistaken Wife Rose Melikan 2010

  • You may read it, he added like a magnifico who had bestowed a particular privilege upon one of his less-deserving followers.

    The Mistaken Wife Rose Melikan 2010

  • 'Omne ignotum pro magnifico,' you know, and my poor little reputation, such as it is, will suffer shipwreck if I am so candid.

    Sole Music 2010

  • You may read it, he added like a magnifico who had bestowed a particular privilege upon one of his less-deserving followers.

    The Mistaken Wife Rose Melikan 2010

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