epitome

American  

[ih-pit-uh-mee] / ɪˈpɪt ə mi /

noun

epitomes plural

1. a person or thing that is typical of or possesses to a high degree the features of a whole class.

   He is the epitome of goodness.

   Synonyms:

   quintessence, typification, model, exemplification, embodiment

2. a condensed account, especially of a literary work; abstract.

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epitome British  

/ ɪˈpɪtəmɪ, ˌɛpɪˈtɒmɪkəl /

noun

1. a typical example of a characteristic or class; embodiment; personification

   he is the epitome of sloth

2. a summary of a written work; abstract

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• epitomic
  adjective
• epitomical
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• epitomes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of epitome

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin epitomē “abridgment,” from Greek epitomḗ “abridgment, surface incision,” equivalent to epi- + -tome

Explanation

If you're talking about a typical example of something, call it the epitome. The cartoon character Garfield is the epitome of the lazy, food-obsessed cat. Coming to us from Greek through Latin, epitome refers to something that is the ultimate representative of its class. Are you the epitome of the hard-working student or do you believe in study in moderation? Make sure you pronounce epitome with the accent on the second syllable (uh-PIH-tuh-mee).

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

epitome epitomes

For many, Aaron Copland’s ballets are the epitome of “American music.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

Today, it’s been adopted as a quasi-anthem for the U.S. and the epitome of American progressivism.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

“The U.S. is the epitome of the trend, but it’s not unique to the U.S.,” said Thibault Camelli, a former French diplomat now at New York University and an authority on U.N. budgeting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

Among the featured musical acts are Rosetta Stone, a Downpatrick band that Reid says were the epitome of "Big in Japan".

From BBC ● May 24, 2026

To me, he was the epitome of courage.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

These are not the complex epitomes that show the extent of a wine’s potential.

From New York Times ● Apr. 2, 2020

“Symphony in C” has long been one of the epitomes of high-orthodox ballet classicism.

From New York Times ● May 22, 2013

I read Paradise Lost, or Richard III, it is clear that Milton and Shakespeare took real pleasure and satisfaction from creating these epitomes of evil.

From The Guardian ● May 15, 2013

Sometimes the very men who became epitomes of chivalric virtue turned away from its presumptions in disgust.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 22, 2011

“This admirable aid to the study of British India we particularly recommend, as one of the best epitomes that our literature possesses.”

From A New Illustrated Edition of J. S. Rarey's Art of Taming Horses With the Substance of the Lectures at the Round House, and Additional Chapters on Horsemanship and Hunting, for the Young and Timid by Rarey, J. S. (John Solomon)

Related Words

• apotheosis
• embodiment
• essence
• exemplar
• personification