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• arete
  arete

  noun

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

  noun

  a sharp rugged mountain ridge, produced by glaciation.

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

To be clear, the objections to this request do not rankle because of some sort of suspicion that disabilities are faked, or an alleged decimation of fairness and arete.

From Slate • Nov. 28, 2022

Both poems celebrated arete — a Greek virtue which can be translated in English as “excellence” and “success,” but must be understood as a moral characteristic as much as a physical or mental one.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2019

Yet here, in Mr. Mariota, we seem to have a young man whose stellar athletic accomplishments and exemplary off-field conduct is worthy, and emblematic of, the ancient Greek ideal of excellence known as arete.

From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2014

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

From Forbes • Sep. 28, 2013

Aristotle sought to rescue rhetoric from its place as a purely instrumental art: the highest rhetorical accomplishment, for Aristotle, was an expression of arete, or virtue.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• excellence
• fulfillment
• potential