adjective
Latin
Stellar
lit. “of the stars”
Exceptional — though so overused the metaphor is nearly dead.
Origin
From Latin stella (star). Originally meaning literally 'of or relating to stars'. The figurative use ('outstanding') took hold in the 19th century and accelerated.
Modern usage
A near-dead metaphor in business writing: 'a stellar Q4', 'a stellar candidate'. The astronomical sense survives in scientific contexts; everywhere else it's interchangeable with 'great'.
Tags
excellence
praise