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apotheosis

[ uh-poth-ee-oh-sis, ap-uh-thee-uh-sis ]
/ əˌpɒθ iˈoʊ sɪs, ˌæp əˈθi ə sɪs /
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noun, plural a·poth·e·o·ses [uh-poth-ee-oh-seez, ap-uh-thee-uh-seez] /əˌpɒθ iˈoʊ siz, ˌæp əˈθi əˌsiz/.

the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god.
the ideal example; epitome; quintessence: This poem is the apotheosis of lyric expression.

RELATED WORDS

elevation, idolization, deification, immortalization

Nearby words

  1. apothecary,
  2. apothecary jar,
  3. apothecium,
  4. apothegm,
  5. apothem,
  6. apotheosize,
  7. apothesis,
  8. apotropaic,
  9. apotropaism,
  10. app

Origin of apotheosis

1570–80; < Late Latin < Greek. See apo-, theo-, -osis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for apotheosis

British Dictionary definitions for apotheosis

apotheosis

/ (əˌpɒθɪˈəʊsɪs) /

noun plural -ses (-siːz)

the elevation of a person to the rank of a god; deification
glorification of a person or thing
a glorified ideal
the best or greatest time or eventthe apotheosis of De Niro's career

Word Origin for apotheosis

C17: via Late Latin from Greek: deification, from theos god
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for apotheosis

apotheosis

n.

1600s, from Late Latin apotheosis "deification," from Greek apotheosis, from apotheoun "deify, make (someone) a god," from apo- special use of this prefix, meaning, here, "change" + theos "god" (see Thea).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper