arete

¹ American  

[ahr-i-tey] / ˌɑr ɪˈteɪ /

noun

1. the aggregate of qualities, as valor and virtue, making up good character.

   Our greatest national heroes not only did extraordinary things, but had enormous arete.

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arête ² American  

[uh-reyt] / əˈreɪt /

noun

Physical Geography, Geology.

1. a sharp rugged mountain ridge, produced by glaciation.

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arête British  

/ əˈrɛt, əˈreɪt /

noun

1. a sharp ridge separating two cirques or glacial valleys in mountainous regions

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arête Scientific  

/ ə-rāt′ /

1. A sharp, narrow ridge or spur commonly found above the snow line in mountainous areas that have been sculpted by glaciers. Arêtes form as the result of the continued backward erosion of adjoining cirques.

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Etymology

Origin of arete¹

First recorded in 1550–70; from Greek aretḗ “excellence, virtue”

Origin of arête²

First recorded in 1860–65; from French: literally, “fishbone, ridge, bridge (of the nose),” from Old French areste “sharp ridge,” from Latin arista “ear of grain (wheat), awn”

Example Sentences

In some ways, Romanitas was the Romans’ spin on the old Greek combination of arete and civic virtue.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

This funky goop, called gloios and thought to contain the essence of arete — valor, excellence — was often funneled into small vials and sold at gyms for medicinal purposes.

From New York Times • Jul. 22, 2016

In doing so, they sacrifice the wallet’s core virtue—what Plato would have called its arete.

From Slate • Feb. 19, 2015

“The themes of Walt’s need to express his excellence — arete — has been there from the beginning,” Cyrino said.

From Forbes • Sep. 28, 2013

From this point the route angled steeply upward along a graceful arete of wind-compacted snow that culminated in the South Summit—where I arrived at 11:00 to find a second, even worse bottleneck.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• excellence
• fulfillment
• potential