stature

noun

stat·​ure ˈsta-chər How to pronounce stature (audio)
Synonyms of stature
1
: natural height (as of a person) in an upright position
2
: quality or status gained by growth, development, or achievement
was honored to be working with a scientist of her stature

Synonyms of stature

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of stature in a Sentence

The university has grown in stature during her time as president. a man of surprisingly great stature
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For years, Modi, a balding man of small stature, has held an outsized presence in the imagination of the Indian public. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026 As the summer winds down and the college sports calendar begins again, UConn coach Dan Hurley is again using his stature in men’s basketball to call for reform, clarification. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026 But to be cast away in nearly the same fashion of a training camp cut seems beneath her stature within this franchise. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026 However, in the comics, Logan is only 5’3, meant to be a small, angry ball of violence rather than have some traditional superhero stature. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stature

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French estature, stature, from Latin statura, from status, past participle of stare to stand — more at stand

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stature was in the 14th century

Rhymes for stature

See All Rhymes for stature

Browse Nearby Words

statu-quo-ite
stature
statured
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stature. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

stature

noun
stat·​ure ˈstach-ər How to pronounce stature (audio)
1
: natural height (as of a person) in an upright position
2
: quality or status gained by growth, development, or achievement
artists of stature

Medical Definition

stature

noun
stat·​ure ˈstach-ər How to pronounce stature (audio)
: natural height (as of a person) in an upright position

More from Merriam-Webster on stature

Nglish: Translation of stature for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All