apogee

noun

apo·​gee ˈa-pə-(ˌ)jē How to pronounce apogee (audio)
1
: the point in the orbit of an object (such as a satellite) orbiting the earth that is at the greatest distance from the center of the earth
also : the point farthest from a planet or a satellite (such as the moon) reached by an object orbiting it compare perigee
2
: the farthest or highest point : culmination
Aegean civilization reached its apogee in Crete.
apogean adjective

Illustration of apogee

Illustration of apogee
  • apogee 1

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Of Apogees, Climaxes, and Culminations

Apogee is often used in its figurative sense, signifying the high point of a career, endeavor, or state (“she was at the apogee of her profession”). This meaning developed as a metaphorical extension of the word’s astronomical sense, denoting the farthest distance from earth of an object orbiting the planet.

A number of other English words that are synonymous with apogee have followed a similar path of figurative development from a technical meaning. Climax (“the most interesting and exciting part of something”) came into English as a term for a series of phrases arranged in ascending order of rhetorical forcefulness. And, very much like apogee, culmination (“the final result of something”) is also rooted in astronomy: it originally referred to the highest point a celestial body reaches in its daily revolution (for example, the sun’s height at noon).

Examples of apogee in a Sentence

shag carpeting reached the apogee of its popularity in the 1970s but is now considered outdated
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But there’s little question that Trump is taking the concept of the imperial presidency to its apogee. Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 16 Feb. 2025 The global Saudi project reached its apogee during the Cold War, when the United States found Saudi Arabia useful in its competition with the Soviet Union. Krithika Varagur, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2020 This mini moment is always associated with either a full or new moon known as an apogee and marks the point when the moon is at its farthest distance from Earth (approximately 405,500 kilometers/252,088 miles away). Skyler Caruso, People.com, 18 Feb. 2025 In astrology, the Black Moon Lilith is a point in the sky that sits near the lunar apogee (a.k.a. Roya Backlund, StyleCaster, 24 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for apogee

Word History

Etymology

French apogée, from New Latin apogaeum, from Greek apogaion, from neuter of apogeios, apogaios far from the earth, from apo- + gē, gaia earth

First Known Use

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of apogee was in 1640

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Cite this Entry

“Apogee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apogee. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

apogee

noun
apo·​gee ˈap-ə-(ˌ)jē How to pronounce apogee (audio)
: the point farthest from the center of a heavenly body (as the earth or the moon) reached by an object (as a satellite) orbiting it compare perigee

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