stature

stature — noun

1. the level of respect, importance, and admiration that someone gains from others

1.nounB2
Definition

the level of respect, importance, and admiration that someone gains from others because of their achievements, skills, or moral qualities — this applies to both individuals and groups: for example, a scientist whose stature in the field grows after a major discovery, or a company whose honest business practices raise its standing among customers.

Example

After winning the Nobel Prize, Dr. Imani Okonkwo's stature in the scientific community grew enormously.

grow in stature — reputation increases through achievement

The company's moral stature suffered badly when news of the unfair working conditions became public.

moral stature — reputation for ethical behaviour

Common collocations
  • moral stature
  • political stature
  • international stature
  • intellectual stature
  • professional stature
  • grow in stature
  • rise in stature
  • diminish stature
  • enhance stature
  • considerable stature
  • great stature
Synonyms
  • reputation

    broader term — can be positive or negative; stature always implies a positive evaluation

  • prestige

    focuses on admiration from others based on achievements or status, with less emphasis on moral qualities

  • standing

    can refer to position within a group without the moral dimension that stature often carries

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

stature as + noun phrase (role/career)

stature in/among + group/field

grow/rise/increase in stature

of great/considerable/moral/political stature

diminish/lose/enhance stature

Usage Note

Often paired with adjectives that name the domain of respect — moral, political, intellectual, professional, international — to specify which area the reputation covers. The phrase 'grow in stature' is a common fixed expression for increasing reputation over time.

Common Mistakes

The statue of the leader was a sign of his stature.
The statue was a sign of respect for the leader, whose stature had grown over the years.
'stature' (reputation) and 'statue' (a carved figure) are different words often confused.
She has a good stature in the company.
She has high stature in the company.
'stature' is not typically modified by 'good' or 'bad'; use 'high', 'great', 'considerable', or 'low'.

2. the physical height of a person's body, especially when seen as a noticeable fea

2.nounB1
Definition

the physical height of a person's body, especially when seen as a noticeable feature that people observe or compare — for example, describing someone as having a short stature, or noting how two people differ in height.

Example

Asher was of average stature, but his confident manner made him seem much taller.

of average stature — describing a person's approximate height

The new coach specifically looked for players of tall stature who could block shots easily.

Common collocations
  • short stature
  • tall stature
  • average stature
  • medium stature
  • great stature
  • small stature
  • of short stature
  • of tall stature
  • differ in stature
Synonyms
  • height

    neutral and more common in everyday speech; stature has a slightly more formal tone

  • build

    refers to overall body shape and proportions, not just vertical height

Grammar Patterns

of + adjective + stature

of short/tall/average/medium/great stature

differ/vary in stature

small/large in stature

Usage Note

This is a more formal or literary way to describe height than simply saying 'tall' or 'short'. Common in medical, descriptive, or character-description contexts. The phrase 'of short stature' is the most frequent fixed pattern and is considered more polite than simply calling someone 'short'.

Common Mistakes

He is stature.
He is of tall stature.
'stature' is a noun, not an adjective. Use it within a prepositional phrase like 'of + adjective + stature'.
The table has a low stature.
The table has a low height.
'stature' usually refers to people, not objects, except in very formal or literary contexts.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words relate to how others view a person or organization, but they highlight different aspects. Reputation is the broadest term — it covers any public opinion, good or bad, based on past behaviour (e.g., 'The restaurant has a reputation for slow service'). Prestige focuses on the admiration and respect that comes from high achievement, quality, or social status, often with a sense of exclusivity (e.g., 'Oxford University carries tremendous prestige worldwide'). Standing refers to a person's rank or position within a specific group, often based on comparisons with others (e.g., 'Her standing among fellow scientists was excellent'). Stature differs from all three in combining the idea of earned respect with an implicit sense of moral or intellectual weight — it suggests not just that people think well of you, but that they look up to you as a figure of substance. For example: 'The young lawyer had a good reputation, but only after years of difficult cases did she gain the stature of a truly respected advocate.' In Chinese, 聲望 (stature) overlaps with 名聲 (reputation) and 威望 (prestige), but carries a stronger connotation of dignified, earned authority.

reputation ↗prestige ↗standing ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • moral stature
  • political stature
  • international stature
  • professional stature
  • intellectual stature
  • short stature
  • tall stature
  • average stature
  • great stature

Adverbs

  • greatly in stature
  • considerably in stature
  • physically in stature

Phrases

  • grow in stature
  • rise in stature
  • diminish one's stature
  • enhance one's stature
  • of short stature
  • of tall stature
  • of average stature
  • differ in stature
  • person of stature

Prepositions

  • in stature
  • of stature

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Stature comes from Latin statura, meaning 'height, size, or growth of a body'. This word was formed from the Latin verb stare, meaning 'to stand'. The original sense in English (from the 1300s) was purely physical — a person's height when standing upright. Over time, the word developed a figurative meaning: just as a person literally 'stands tall', they can also 'stand tall' in terms of reputation and achievement. The metaphorical sense (respected standing) became common by the 1500s and is now the more frequent meaning in modern English.