epigraph

noun

ep·i·graph ˈe-pə-ˌgraf

: an engraved inscription

: a quotation set at the beginning of a literary work or one of its divisions to suggest its theme

Examples of epigraph in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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My group chat has a recurring debate about epigraphs, and during one of its iterations, a novelist friend said that epigraphs should simply be put into the book: not as front matter, but in the book itself. —

Elisa Gabbert, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025 The epigraph is a quotation from A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh series, and its extended opening thought experiment involves vampires. —

Alice Gregory, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024 The Biggest Revelations from Prince Harry's Book Spare 1 Year After Its Release The epigraph — the quote that opens a book — also carries significant meaning. —

Janine Henni, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024 But what those hundreds of pounds of muscle and fur might mean is challenging to see through the dark woods of this intense novel, which begins with an epigraph from the Brothers Grimm. —

Ron Charles, Washington Post, 18 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for epigraph

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek epigraphḗ "act of inscribing, inscription," noun of action from epigráphein "to mark the surface of, graze, scratch a mark on, inscribe" — more at epigram

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of epigraph was in 1624

See more words from the same year