epigraph
Americannoun
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an inscription, especially on a building, statue, or the like.
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an apposite quotation at the beginning of a book, chapter, etc.
noun
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a quotation at the beginning of a book, chapter, etc, suggesting its theme
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an inscription on a monument or building
Other Word Forms
- epigraphic adjective
- epigraphically adverb
Etymology
Origin of epigraph
First recorded in 1615–25, epigraph is from the Greek word epigraphḗ inscription. See epi-, -graph
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It opens with this epigraph: “I have always been an observer of myself. For years, at the mercy of others. Not anymore.”
From Los Angeles Times
I use John Pesando’s remark as the epigraph, “Every whistleblower is an amateur playing against professionals.”
From Salon
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.
From New York Times
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.
From Los Angeles Times
Brinkley knew from the outset that he meant to have an operating principle — the idea of “witness” that serves as the title and is sharpened by the book’s epigraphs.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
