apotheosis

American  

[uh-poth-ee-oh-sis, ap-uh-thee-uh-sis] / əˌpɒθ iˈoʊ sɪs, ˌæp əˈθi ə sɪs /

noun

plural

apotheoses

1. the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god.

2. the ideal example; epitome; quintessence.

   This poem is the apotheosis of lyric expression.

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apotheosis British  

/ əˌpɒθɪˈəʊsɪs /

noun

1. the elevation of a person to the rank of a god; deification

2. glorification of a person or thing

3. a glorified ideal

4. the best or greatest time or event

   the apotheosis of De Niro's career

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Etymology

Origin of apotheosis

1570–80; < Late Latin < Greek. See apo-, theo-, -osis

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.

Example Sentences

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

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

Cooper impressively mimics Bernstein’s movements in a performance of the apotheosis of Mahler’s Second Symphony at the Ely Cathedral in London, which Bernstein filmed.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2023

In the Civil Rights Movement timeline, 1965 is often seen as the apotheosis, the crowning moment.

From Slate • Oct. 31, 2023

In the midst of the excitement of the family the scandalization of Úrsula, the joy of the people cramming the street to watch that apotheosis of squandering.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Related Words

• embodiment
• epitome
• exemplar
• ideal
• quintessence