epigraph
Americannoun
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an inscription, especially on a building, statue, or the like.
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an apposite quotation at the beginning of a book, chapter, etc.
noun
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a quotation at the beginning of a book, chapter, etc, suggesting its theme
-
an inscription on a monument or building
Other Word Forms
- epigraphic adjective
- epigraphically adverb
Etymology
Origin of epigraph
First recorded in 1615–25, epigraph is from the Greek word epigraphḗ inscription. See epi-, -graph
Explanation
An epigraph is an engraved inscription on a building or statue, or a quotation at the beginning of a piece of writing. If you look on the U.S. government minted coins in your pocket, you'll see the epigraph "In God We Trust." Epigraph comes from the Greek roots epi- ("on") and graphein ("write"), a root you'll recognize from autograph, graphite, graphic novel, and lots of other familiar words that have to do with writing or drawing.
Vocabulary lists containing epigraph
Write On!: Graph and Gram
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Rhetoric
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Reading: Literature - Literary Devices & Figures of Speech - Middle School
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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.
“When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers,” reads the epigraph to Sara Pennypacker’s superb novel “The Lions’ Run.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
It is as Caro says in the book’s epigraph: “One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been.”
From Slate • Sep. 16, 2024
I use John Pesando’s remark as the epigraph, “Every whistleblower is an amateur playing against professionals.”
From Salon • Jun. 20, 2024
Wilkerson’s husband, Brett, is mentioned only briefly in the book’s epigraph and acknowledgments, but he is central to the movie’s emotional arc.
From New York Times • Jan. 16, 2024
I open to the epigraph, a quote by Wendell Berry: "In the circle of the human we are weary with striving, and are without rest."
From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour
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.
