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apogee
noun
apo·gee
ˈa-pə-(ˌ)jē 
1
: the point in the orbit of an object (such as a satellite) orbiting the earth that is at the greatest distance from the center of the earth
also
: the point farthest from a planet or a satellite (such as the moon) reached by an object orbiting it compare perigee
2
: the farthest or highest point : culmination
Aegean civilization reached its apogee in Crete.
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Of Apogees, Climaxes, and Culminations
Apogee is often used in its figurative sense, signifying the high point of a career, endeavor, or state (“she was at the apogee of her profession”). This meaning developed as a metaphorical extension of the word’s astronomical sense, denoting the farthest distance from earth of an object orbiting the planet.
A number of other English words that are synonymous with apogee have followed a similar path of figurative development from a technical meaning. Climax (“the most interesting and exciting part of something”) came into English as a term for a series of phrases arranged in ascending order of rhetorical forcefulness. And, very much like apogee, culmination (“the final result of something”) is also rooted in astronomy: it originally referred to the highest point a celestial body reaches in its daily revolution (for example, the sun’s height at noon).
Synonyms
Examples of apogee in a Sentence
shag carpeting reached the apogee of its popularity in the 1970s but is now considered outdated
Recent Examples on the Web
Seeking to avoid a repeat of the disastrous Cultural Revolution, when Maoist propaganda reached its apogee, Deng also sought to prevent any leader from forming a cult of personality.
—
Cai Xia, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
The crew’s apogee — or farthest point from Earth — made two crew members the first women ever to fly so far from our planet.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 16 Sep. 2024
Where the Gemini reached an altitude of 853 miles (1,373 km), Polaris Dawn had an apogee of 875 miles (1,408 km).
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 15 Sep. 2024
The crew of the Polaris Dawn mission, led by a billionaire pilot named Jared Isaacman, were injected into an orbit intended to reach an apogee of 1,200 km and a perigee of 190 km.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 10 Sep. 2024
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Cai Xia, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
The crew’s apogee — or farthest point from Earth — made two crew members the first women ever to fly so far from our planet.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 16 Sep. 2024
Where the Gemini reached an altitude of 853 miles (1,373 km), Polaris Dawn had an apogee of 875 miles (1,408 km).
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 15 Sep. 2024
The crew of the Polaris Dawn mission, led by a billionaire pilot named Jared Isaacman, were injected into an orbit intended to reach an apogee of 1,200 km and a perigee of 190 km.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for apogee
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Cite this Entry
“Apogee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apogee. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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apogee
noun
apo·gee
ˈap-ə-(ˌ)jē
: the point farthest from the center of a heavenly body (as the earth or the moon) reached by an object (as a satellite) orbiting it compare perigee
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