epigraph

[ep-i-graf, -grahf]

noun

1. an inscription, especially on a building, statue, or the like.

2. an apposite quotation at the beginning of a book, chapter, etc.

epigraph

/ ˌɛpɪˈɡræfɪk, ˈɛpɪˌɡrɑːf, -ˌɡræf /

noun

1. a quotation at the beginning of a book, chapter, etc, suggesting its theme

2. an inscription on a monument or building

Other Word Forms

• epigraphic adjective
• epigraphically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of epigraph¹

First recorded in 1615–25, epigraph is from the Greek word epigraphḗ inscription. See epi-, -graph

Word History and Origins

Origin of epigraph¹

C17: from Greek epigraphē; see _epigram

Example Sentences

It opens with this epigraph: “I have always been an observer of myself. For years, at the mercy of others. Not anymore.”

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I use John Pesando’s remark as the epigraph, “Every whistleblower is an amateur playing against professionals.”

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Wilkerson’s husband, Brett, is mentioned only briefly in the book’s epigraph and acknowledgments, but he is central to the movie’s emotional arc.

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An epigraph from “Leaves of Grass” sits comfortably alongside curse words in an ancient tongue.

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He said that in the hours after Lear’s death, he was looking through his biography, “Even This I Get to Experience,” and was struck by the epigraph.

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Related Words

• elegy 
• eulogy