apotheosis
Americannoun
plural
apotheoses-
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.
noun
-
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 event
the apotheosis of De Niro's career
Etymology
Origin of apotheosis
Explanation
If your teacher says the term paper you handed in last week is a work of genius that sets a new gold standard for the school, he's telling you your work is the apotheosis of term papers. The epitome. Perfection. Hidden in the middle of apotheosis you'll find the Greek theos, meaning god. (Theology, the study of religion, has the same root.) Combine theos with apo "from" and you get a person, place, or thing that is so out-of-this-world amazing that it seems as if it's "from God." It's divine. You could make the assertion that Leonardo da Vinci was the apotheosis of genius and that the Mona Lisa is the apotheosis of all his paintings.
Vocabulary lists containing apotheosis
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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.
The use of the harp stood out, as did the harpsichord for Manon’s apotheosis as a courtesan in Act 3 and an organ for the church of St. Sulpice.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026
“Huck Finn” was the apotheosis of Twain’s gift for truth-telling, as he exposed the sadistic oppression of Black people and made the slave Jim the hero.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2025
Borglum believed the American political system was the apotheosis of human civilization, and he wanted his sculpture to stand alongside the Parthenon and pyramids as testaments to grand civilizations and cultures.
From Slate • Mar. 13, 2025
Scripture does not record the birth date of Jesus Christ, and so early Christian scholars spent centuries wrangling over when to celebrate this most important apotheosis.
From Salon • Dec. 24, 2024
Once the apotheosis of suburban constancy, Levittown is now an example of those same suburbs coming apart at the seams.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
