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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
Vogue, 9 Oct. 2024
Throughout all of them, Strait continues cementing his role in the genre as a paragon of sustained excellence.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
In Western philosophy, Socrates is often held up as the paragon of wisdom.
—Matt Butcher, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
Kathleen Hanna fronted punk greats Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, two bands that existed at different times in the evolving (but still sexist) conversation about women and their place in culture, with the musicians often serving as paragons of feminist critique and anguish.
—Eric Farwell and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 17 Aug. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Paragon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paragon. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.
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