paragon

[par-uh-gon, -guhn]

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

/ ˈpærəɡən /

noun

1. a model of excellence; pattern

   a paragon of virtue

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

verb

1. archaic

   1. to equal or surpass

   2. to compare

   3. to regard as a paragon

Other Word Forms

• paragonless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of paragon¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of paragon¹

C16: via French from Old Italian paragone comparison, from Medieval Greek parakonē whetstone, from Greek parakonan to sharpen against, from _para- ¹ + akonan to sharpen, from akonē whetstone

Example Sentences

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

Read more on Salon

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

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Can the “paragon of animals,” in Hamlet’s brooding formulation, really amount to nothing more than a “quintessence of dust”?

Read more on Los Angeles Times

And Lord knows I’m unmeasured in other areas day-to-day, too, so it’s not like I’m some paragon of containment, but yeah, just the revenge thing, there’s a lot of schoolyard stuff going on.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• apotheosis 
• epitome 
• exemplar