Skip to content
Wiki

Agency Dictionary

Epitome

nounPronunciation: /ɪˈpɪt.ə.mi/

In Portuguese: Epítome

What does “Epitome” mean?

A perfect example or personification that embodies the highest degree of a specified quality or class.

Etymology

Through Latin epitome from Greek epitome, "abridgment", from epitemnein, "to cut short", formed from epi ("upon") and temnein ("to cut"). English took the word in the 16th century for a summary of a longer book. Since a summary holds a whole work in small space, the word came to mean a person or thing that holds in itself all the typical qualities of a class, the sense that now prevails.

Usage note

Pronounced in four syllables, with the stress on the second and a sounded final e. The usual frame is "the epitome of" followed by a quality.

Synonyms

  • embodiment
  • essence
  • archetype
  • quintessence
  • paragon
  • exemplar

Often confused with

pinnacle
A pinnacle is the highest point reached; an epitome is the most typical example, which need not be the highest.

Word family

  • epitomize
  • epitomist

Usage examples

Concept

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Words of the same theme

Antithesisnoun
A person, thing, or concept that represents the direct or exact opposite of another.
Rebirthnoun
A new beginning after a period of decline or destruction, used in mythology to describe the cyclical return to life after death. In Archetype.0, rebirth is the defining characteristic of both the Bennu and the Phoenix.
Discursiveadjective
Proceeding by reasoned argument or sequential exposition rather than by immediate visual intuition.
paperweightnoun
A small, heavy object placed on loose sheets of paper to prevent them from scattering or blowing away.
quotationnoun
A group of words taken verbatim from a published text or speech and repeated by another author.
omissionnoun
The intentional or accidental act of leaving something out or excluding details from a statement or text.
Treatisenoun
A formal, systematic, and comprehensive written work dealing methodically with the principles and evidence of a particular philosophical, scientific, or technical subject.
Maximnoun
A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
verbatimadjective
In exactly the same words as the original, word for word. Said of a quotation or a transcription that changes nothing.
rhetoricnoun
The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.
literary devicenoun
A technique that a writer uses to produce a particular effect or to convey meaning, such as metaphor, irony, repetition, quotation or aphorism.
Accuracynoun
The degree of precision, correctness, and exactitude with which a message or action reaches its intended mark.

Also from these editions: terms

Superfluousadjective
Exceeding what is sufficient, necessary, or useful.
Monoclenoun
A single eyeglass lens designed to correct or enhance vision in one eye, held in place by the facial muscles around the eye socket.
Pollinationnoun
The transfer of pollen grains from the male anther to the female stigma of a flower, enabling fertilization and seed production.
Dissectverb
To cut apart or systematically separate components of an organism or complex idea in order to examine its structure in detail.
Ephemeraladjective
Lasting for only a very brief period of time; fleeting, transitory, or impermanent in nature.
Semioticsnoun
The study of signs, symbols, and the processes of signification: how meaning is created and communicated through visual, verbal, and cultural systems.
Superficialitynoun
The quality of lacking depth of character, serious thought, or profound substance, remaining confined to outward appearances.
Symbolnoun
A mark, sign, character, or visual emblem used as a conventional representation of an object, function, concept, or abstract idea.
Paradoxnoun
A statement, situation, or person that appears contradictory or absurd yet may reveal a deeper underlying truth.
Exuberancenoun
The state or quality of being effusively enthusiastic, abundantly productive, or lavish in growth.
Vitalitynoun
The state of being strong, active, and full of life or vigor.
Fragileadjective
Easily broken, damaged, or disrupted, requiring delicate handling and protective consideration.

Also from these editions: concepts

Published
Updated
Cite this entry

“Epitome”. Agency Wiki, Agency Brasil. Published on November 11, 2026. https://www.agencybrasil.com/en/wiki/dictionary/epitome