epitome
Americannoun
-
a person or thing that is typical of or possesses to a high degree the features of a whole class.
He is the epitome of goodness.
- Synonyms:
- quintessence, typification, model, exemplification, embodiment
-
a condensed account, especially of a literary work; abstract.
noun
-
a typical example of a characteristic or class; embodiment; personification
he is the epitome of sloth
-
a summary of a written work; abstract
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of epitome
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin epitomē “abridgment,” from Greek epitomḗ “abridgment, surface incision,” equivalent to epi- + -tome
Explanation
If you're talking about a typical example of something, call it the epitome. The cartoon character Garfield is the epitome of the lazy, food-obsessed cat. Coming to us from Greek through Latin, epitome refers to something that is the ultimate representative of its class. Are you the epitome of the hard-working student or do you believe in study in moderation? Make sure you pronounce epitome with the accent on the second syllable (uh-PIH-tuh-mee).
Vocabulary lists containing epitome
100 Words to Make You Sound Smart
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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Sapiens
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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.
See Examples For:
For many, Aaron Copland’s ballets are the epitome of “American music.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Meanwhile, the primary suite is the epitome of luxury, featuring a private sitting area, steam shower, and balcony overlooking the picturesque grounds.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
“The U.S. is the epitome of the trend, but it’s not unique to the U.S.,” said Thibault Camelli, a former French diplomat now at New York University and an authority on U.N. budgeting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
"They're the epitome of what a family should be," Benic said.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
They were, in effect, an epitome of his reading.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
These are not the complex epitomes that show the extent of a wine’s potential.
From New York Times ● Apr. 2, 2020
To present its hippest neighborhoods as epitomes of a cosmopolitanism that hasn’t turned its back on tradition.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 25, 2017
“Symphony in C” has long been one of the epitomes of high-orthodox ballet classicism.
From New York Times ● May 22, 2013
Sometimes the very men who became epitomes of chivalric virtue turned away from its presumptions in disgust.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 22, 2011
This man and his team were epitomes of the voiturier caste and their fixtures.
From A Residence in France With an Excursion Up the Rhine, and a Second Visit to Switzerland by Cooper, James Fenimore
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.
