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Glite Dictionary
🪵 Wood shavings ⬆️ Ever upward
excelsior

excelsior

9.9
A Latin word meaning ever upward that people use as a motto to encourage them to aim higher
  • other
  • /ɛkˈsɛlsiər/
  • Literature
translation icon : excelsior
  • The school's motto is excelsior, encouraging students to always strive for success.

Like this one watch New York's motto is Excelsior ever upward and Trump takes us ever downward.

Examples

  • In her speech, she quoted the motto excelsior to inspire her audience to reach their goals.

  • Like this one watch New York's motto is Excelsior ever upward and Trump takes us ever downward.

    Megyn Kelly

  • The phrase excelsior is often used to motivate athletes to aim for greater heights.

Synonyms

onwards and upwards
vsexcelsior
  • Informal
1 4.6

Shows that things get better after hard times

is a Latin motto urging steady striving for higher achievement

Compounds

Fraxinus excelsior
  • UK
9.9

A tall tree from Europe and western Asia with shiny dark green leaves above and pale soft leaves underneath

Surface Forms

excelsior main

Etymology

Excelsior (the motto) comes straight from the Latin word excelsior, meaning 'ever upward'. As a motto it tells people to aim higher and keep improving, so the old word's sense of moving 'up' links directly to the idea of striving for more.