summit
1 Americannoun
-
the highest point or part, as of a hill, a line of travel, or any object; top; apex.
- Antonyms:
- base
-
the highest point of attainment or aspiration.
the summit of one's ambition.
- Synonyms:
- culmination, zenith, acme
-
the highest state or degree.
- Synonyms:
- culmination, zenith, acme
-
the highest level of diplomatic or other governmental officials.
a meeting at the summit.
adjective
verb (used without object)
-
to take part in a summit meeting.
-
to reach a summit.
summited after a 14-hour climb.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a city in NE New Jersey.
-
a city in NE Illinois.
noun
-
the highest point or part, esp of a mountain or line of communication; top
-
the highest possible degree or state; peak or climax
the summit of ambition
-
the highest level, importance, or rank
a meeting at the summit
-
-
a meeting of chiefs of governments or other high officials
-
( as modifier )
a summit conference
-
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing summit
Higher Learning: Synonyms For "Up"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 7
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Contemporary Period, c. 1914 to the Present
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Relations between Moscow and Washington have cooled recently after efforts which saw Trump invite Vladimir Putin for a summit in Alaska in August last year.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Last week, leaders of the West African regional bloc Ecowas condemned reported attacks on African migrants in South Africa, as Nigeria and Ghana raised the issue at a summit in Sierra Leone.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
There are also the legions of sponsors and guests, who follow the race from bleachers at the summit and nibble on petits fours while the competition rages in the background.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
They have also demanded that the issue of "Afrophobia" be discussed at the next African Union summit, while Ghana has postponed a planned visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
At the summit, lightning had splintered the giant pine tree.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
![]()
The FBU is urging government to convene a National Wildfire Summit to build national resilience, and is calling for 5,000 firefighters to be recruited nationwide.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The Summit blaze ignited shortly before 1 p.m.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
The final summit declaration consisted of six concise paragraphs, mirroring the brevity of the 2025 Hague Summit declaration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
In a time when acts like Fred Again.. and John Summit are Gen Z fixtures and the underground is bustling with invention, the genre interest was primed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Fifteen minutes later, Lopsang arrived at the South Summit on his way down from the top and encountered Harris.*
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
![]()
So he is arguably the most important non-American in the world for the regulation of crypto and stablecoins, reporting directly to G7 and G20 summits.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
But when summits become a venue for essentially undermining allied assurance and adversary deterrence, their utility diminishes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
He also hosted Xi Jinping in Pyongyang soon after the Chinese president had held back-to-back summits in Beijing with Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
Xi's upcoming visit to Pyongyang would be his first in seven years, and comes after he hosted back-to-back summits with US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin last month.
From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026
In his systematic fashion he continued to refine the company’s infrastructure and services—and continued to be extraordinarily successful at escorting amateur climbers to the summits of big, remote mountains.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
![]()
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.