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• summit
  summit

  noun

  the highest point or part, as of a hill, a line of travel, or any object; top; apex.
• Summit
  Summit

  noun

  a city in NE New Jersey.

summit

¹ American  

[suhm-it] / ˈsʌm ɪt /

noun

• summits
  plural

1. 

   the highest point or part, as of a hill, a line of travel, or any object; top; apex.

   Synonyms:

   pinnacle, peak

   Antonyms:

   base

2. the highest point of attainment or aspiration.

   the summit of one's ambition.

   Synonyms:

   culmination, zenith, acme

3. the highest state or degree.

   Synonyms:

   culmination, zenith, acme

4. the highest level of diplomatic or other governmental officials.

   a meeting at the summit.

5. summit meeting.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a summit meeting.

   summit talks.

verb (used without object)

1. to take part in a summit meeting.

2. to reach a summit.

   summited after a 14-hour climb.

verb (used with object)

1. to reach the summit of.

Summit ² American  

[suhm-it] / ˈsʌm ɪt /

noun

1. a city in NE New Jersey.

2. a city in NE Illinois.

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summit British  

/ ˈsʌmɪt /

noun

1. the highest point or part, esp of a mountain or line of communication; top

2. the highest possible degree or state; peak or climax

   the summit of ambition

3. the highest level, importance, or rank

   a meeting at the summit

4. 1. a meeting of chiefs of governments or other high officials

   2. ( as modifier )

      a summit conference

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• minisummit
  noun
• presummit
  adjective
• summital
  adjective
• summitless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• summits
  plural

Etymology

Origin of summit

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English somete, from Old French, from som “top” (from Latin summum, noun use of neuter of summus “highest”; see sum) + -ete -et

Explanation

What better place for the mountain-climbing summit than on the summit of the mountain. A summit can mean either a meeting between people who are interested in the same subject or the peak of the mountain. Although originally meant to describe a meeting between the heads of state, summit can be used to describe any gathering of people who care deeply about the same topic. If, for example, you are the captain of your chess club, you might attend the upcoming Chess Club Summit, at which new rules of the tournament will be discussed. Moreover, while summit also means the very top of a mountain, summit can be used metaphorically to mean a variety of heights, such as the summit of a career, an industry, or any kind of major effort.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

summit Summit summits

The contrast was hard to miss when another leader at the same summit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, also pulled back from his schedule for health reasons around that time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

As claims from Spencer's book came to light, the King Charles, 77, was busy hosting an AI summit, the paper reports.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Will Trump and Xi Jinping discuss the issue at their Washington summit next week?

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

The White House is considering whether to host a meeting with AI executives on the sidelines of its summit with Xi next week — but the Chinese would not be invited, an official said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

That’s because it was at the start of the summit and he was only going to talk briefly.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

For a future-focused group, many executives at the Leadership Institute’s WSJ Technology Council Summit this week came back to a decidedly old-fashioned topic—managing costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

In April, the government held its first dedicated FGM Summit in a decade, to discuss ways to better protect women and girls.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

The next flight will also be the last mission before SpaceX attempts to “catch the ship” for the first time, Musk said at the All-In Summit in Los Angeles on Monday.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

Carney told the Canada Investment Summit that the North American neighbors had always maintained close ties, "even at times of disagreement."

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

Upon setting out from Camp Four on May 10, each client carried two 6.6-pound oxygen bottles and would pick up a third bottle on the South Summit from a cache to be stocked by Sherpas.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

One possible concrete deliverable is an announcement of further summits.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

Under that plan, which met a cold reception from a country pushing for full membership, Ukraine would have been allowed to attend the bloc's summits and have a representative in the European Commission.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

During this period Bush administration officials missed several key regional meetings in Asia, such as summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Kim has flaunted his ties with China and Russia, holding high-profile summits with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

“Dear mountains! my own beautiful lake! how do you welcome your wanderer? Your summits are clear; the sky and lake are blue and placid. Is this to prognosticate peace, or to mock at my unhappiness?”

From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley