epitome
noun
Richard Joseph
Did you know?
Epitome Has Greek Roots
Epitome first appeared in print in the early 16th century, when it was used to mean "summary." If someone asks you to summarize a long paper, you effectively cut it up, mentioning only the most important ideas, and the etymology of epitome reflects this process: it comes from Greek epitemnein, meaning "to cut short." Your summary probably also presents all the key points of the original work, which may explain why epitome eventually came to be used for any person or object that is a clear or good example of an abstraction, as in "the epitome of grace" or "the epitome of health." We could go on and on... or could we?
Synonyms
Examples of epitome in a Sentence
E. Vernon Laux, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2001
Manchester, then known as 'Cottonopolis' and perceived throughout the world as the epitome of the whirling fierceness of the industrial revolution. …
—Roy Jenkins, Gladstone, (1995) 1997
Hamilton thought the bank was a fait accompli, but he had not reckoned on Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Jefferson, the lover of rural virtues, had a deep, almost visceral hatred of banks, the epitome of all that was urban.
—John Steele Gordon, American Heritage, July/August 1990
I didn't tell him that, at the time, I thought the place to be the epitome of bourgeois comfort; in those days I thought that there was some connection between creative talent and penury.
—Ishmael Reed, "August Wilson," 1987,
in Writin' Is Fightin', 1988
the golden rule is often cited as the epitome of moral conduct: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”
the prestigious prep school prides itself on being widely regarded as the epitome of tradition and old-fashioned values
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2024
This year has been the epitome of why the sport has been struggling.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Historic District This district is the epitome of quintessential Savannah, with more than two miles of whimsical streets and squares to explore.
—Karen Norian, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2024
Always wearing his trademark suit and tie, Carlo Ancelotti is usually the epitome of calm on the Bernabeu touchline.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Epitome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epitome. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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epitome
noun
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