First recorded in 1550–70; from Greek aretḗ “excellence, virtue”
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”
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
In doing so, they sacrifice the wallet’s core virtue—what Plato would have called its arete.
From Slate ● Feb. 19, 2015
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
Far below, fast-flowing meltwater cuts a frozen ravine into the glacier; above, on the horizon, the Grandes Jorasses arête, a narrow ridge of rock that separates two valleys, soars with terrifying verticality.
From National Geographic ● Apr. 16, 2023
To determine the arête, or excellence, of something, you have to know what its purpose or function is.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 15, 2022
It is easier to determine the arête of a practical object like a knife than the arête of a person.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 15, 2022
In ancient Greek, the word for virtue was arête, which can also be translated as “excellence.”
From Textbooks ● Jun. 15, 2022
We were on the very edge of the arête.
From The Ascent of the Matterhorn by Whymper, Edward
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.
