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Paragon Has Old Italian and Greek Roots
Paragon derives from the Old Italian word paragone, which literally means "touchstone." A touchstone is a black stone that was formerly used to judge the purity of gold or silver. The metal was rubbed on the stone and the color of the streak it left indicated its quality. In modern English, both touchstone and paragon have come to signify a standard against which something should be judged. Ultimately, paragon comes from the Greek parakonan, meaning "to sharpen," from the prefix para- ("alongside of") and akonē, meaning "whetstone."
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Examples of paragon in a Sentence
Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 28 Jan. 2025
Zuckerberg’s own company isn’t exactly a paragon of parity: Its total workforce, as of 2022, was nearly two-thirds male, while its tech workforce was three-quarters male.
—Adam Stanaland, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2025
And why are people still giving time to a guy who trumpets misogyny and anti-semitism, denies the Holocaust, pals around with white nationalist dweebs, including Donald Trump, and recently made Alex Jones look like a paragon of reason and restraint?
—Spin Team, SPIN, 28 Nov. 2024
The paragon of the child star, Culkin is the face of so many iconic kids’ movies, from Home Alone to Richie Rich.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 28 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Paragon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paragon. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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