Excellent, a.
Etymology: [F. excellent, L. excellens, -entis, p. pr. of excellere. See Excel.]
1. Excelling; surpassing others in some good quality or the sum of qualities; of great worth; eminent, in a good sense; superior; as, an excellent man, artist, citizen, husband, discourse, book, song, etc.; excellent breeding, principles, aims, action. To love . . . What I see excellent in good or fair. Milton.
2. Superior in kind or degree, irrespective of moral quality; -- used with words of a bad significance. [Obs. or Ironical] "An excellent hypocrite." Hume. Their sorrows are most excellent. Beau. & Fl.
Syn. -- Worthy; choice; prime; valuable; select; exquisite; transcendent; admirable; worthy.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Excellent, adv.
Excellently; eminently; exceedingly. [Obs.] "This comes off well and excellent." Shak.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for excellent; he lists it under fine.
Where he writes about it:
That which is truly finished, brought to an ideal end, is excellent of its kind, and beautiful, if a thing that admits of beauty; as, a fine house, fine trees, a fine woman, a fine morning; if a thing that admits of the removal of impurities, it is not finished till these are removed, and hence fine signifies clarified, clear, pure, refined; as, fine gold. — from fine