pre-excellency

English

Etymology

From pre- +‎ excellency.

Noun

pre-excellency (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) Pre-eminent superiority; pre-excellence. [17th–18th c.]
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, The Essayes […], London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
     , II.12:

     Miserable man with all his wit cannot in effect goe beyond it: he is embraced, and engaged, and as other creatures of his ranke are, he is subjected in like bondes, and without any prerogative or essential pre-excellencie [translating praeexcellence], what ever Privilege he assume unto himselfe, he is of very meane condition.