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paragon

American  
[par-uh-gon, -guhn] / ˈpær əˌgɒn, -gən /

noun

  1. a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence.

    a paragon of virtue.
    Synonyms:
    paradigm, exemplar, example, quintessence, epitome, standard, ideal

  2. someone of exceptional merit.

    Just who is this paragon whose name is on everyone's lips?
    Synonyms:
    nonpareil, nonesuch

  3. Printing. a 20-point type.

  4. an unusually large, round pearl.

verb (used with object)

  1. Rare. to compare; parallel.

  2. Archaic. to be a match for; rival.

  3. Obsolete. to surpass.

  4. Obsolete. to regard as a paragon.

paragon British  
/ ˈpærəɡən /

noun

  1. a model of excellence; pattern

    a paragon of virtue

  2. a size of printer's type, approximately equal to 20 point

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. archaic

    1. to equal or surpass

    2. to compare

    3. to regard as a paragon

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • paragonless adjective

Etymology

Origin of paragon

First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French paragon, parangon “model,” from Old Italian paragone “touchstone,” from paragonare “to compare, test on a touchstone,” from Greek parakonân “to sharpen, whet,” equivalent to para- “beside, alongside” + akonân “to sharpen, whet,” a derivative of akónē “whetstone, bone”

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.

Stephen Colbert doesn’t see himself as a paragon of progressivism.

From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025

The “Maiden” is a neck-up likeness of a young woman that stands as a paragon of physical and psychological realism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

It’s worth noting that Weiss herself does not appear to be a paragon of newsroom professionalism.

From Slate • Oct. 6, 2025

When he eventually signed on for a superhero film, it was, fittingly, alongside Captain America, that upright paragon of virtue — and Redford played the villain.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2025

Founded in 1948, it was, in many ways, meant to be the paragon of suburban life, with mass-produced houses and cookie-cutter yards.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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.