epitome

noun

epit·​o·​me i-ˈpi-tə-mē 

1

: a typical or ideal example : embodiment

the British monarchy itself is the epitome of tradition

—Richard Joseph

2

a

: a summary of a written work

b

: a brief presentation or statement of something

3

: brief or miniature form

—usually used with in

epitomic

ˌe-pə-ˈtä-mik 

adjective

or epitomical

ˌe-pə-ˈtä-mi-kəl 

Did you know?

Epitome Has Greek Roots

Epitome first appeared in print in the early 16th century, when it was used to mean "summary." If someone asks you to summarize a long paper, you effectively cut it up, mentioning only the most important ideas, and the etymology of epitome reflects this process: it comes from Greek epitemnein, meaning "to cut short." Your summary probably also presents all the key points of the original work, which may explain why epitome eventually came to be used for any person or object that is a clear or good example of an abstraction, as in "the epitome of grace" or "the epitome of health." We could go on and on... or could we?

Synonyms

• abstract
• breviary
• brief
• capsule
• conspectus
• digest
• encapsulation
• inventory
• outline
• précis
• recap
• recapitulation
• résumé
• resume
• resumé
• roundup
• run-through
• rundown
• sum
• sum-up
• summa
• summarization
• summary
• summing-up
• synopsis
• wrap-up

Examples of epitome in a Sentence

Terns, nicknamed sea swallows by fishermen, are superb flying machines, the epitome of beauty on the wing. —E. Vernon Laux, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2001

Manchester, then known as 'Cottonopolis' and perceived throughout the world as the epitome of the whirling fierceness of the industrial revolution.  … —Roy Jenkins, Gladstone, (1995) 1997

Hamilton thought the bank was a fait accompli, but he had not reckoned on Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Jefferson, the lover of rural virtues, had a deep, almost visceral hatred of banks, the epitome of all that was urban. —John Steele Gordon, American Heritage, July/August 1990

I didn't tell him that, at the time, I thought the place to be the epitome of bourgeois comfort; in those days I thought that there was some connection between creative talent and penury. —Ishmael Reed, "August Wilson," 1987, in Writin' Is Fightin',  1988

the golden rule is often cited as the epitome of moral conduct: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”

the prestigious prep school prides itself on being widely regarded as the epitome of tradition and old-fashioned values

Recent Examples on the Web

Steve Rogers is clothed in the colors of the American flag as the epitome of patriotism and the American Dream, while Wakanda's guardian is royalty who fights on both the battlefield and the international political arena. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 17 Dec. 2024

For others, however, trying something new and fresh and immersing themselves into a local culture is the epitome of vacation, especially within the realm of food. —Kristin L. Wolfe, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

Poolside Gossip, regarded as the epitome of midcentury style and design, evokes lazy days by the water. —Jaclyn Trop, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024

So argued abolitionists, for whom Cleopatra was a Black Egyptian or a Nubian, the epitome of an ancient civilization older than Greece or Rome. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek epitomē, from epitemnein to cut short, from epi- + temnein to cut — more at tome

First Known Use

1520, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

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Kids Definition

epitome

noun

epit·​o·​me i-ˈpit-ə-mē 

1

a

: a summary of a written work

b

: a brief statement of the main points or facts

2

: something thought to represent a basic quality or an ideal example

your response was the epitome of good sense