A kanji with prefix-like use meaning 'great', 'tremendous', or 'remarkable' when attached before nouns; appears in compounds such as 偉人 (great person), 偉業 (great achievement), 偉大 (great). In speech, the adjective 偉い (erai) is commonly used.
彼は歴史に残る偉人として知られている。
He is known as a great person who remains in history.
その発見は科学界にとって偉業だった。
That discovery was a great achievement for the scientific community.
偉大な芸術家の作品は今も多くの人を感動させる。
The works of great artists still move many people today.