ENGLISH
REFERENCE

epitome

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ɪˈpɪtəmi// UK //ɪpˈɪtəmˌi// epit·o·me

n. the perfect example of a particular quality or type. If someone is the epitome of kindness, they are the kindest person you can imagine.

n. a person or thing that is a perfect example of a particular quality or type; a paradigm. Often used in the construction 'the epitome of [noun]'.


SIMPLE

She is the epitome of elegance and grace.

CONTEXTUAL

The historic hotel is considered the epitome of luxury, featuring gold-leaf ceilings and world-class service.

COMPLEX

The architect's latest skyscraper is often cited as the epitome of modern minimalism, stripping away all unnecessary ornamentation to focus on pure geometric form.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle French, from Latin epitomē, from Ancient Greek ἐπιτομή (epitomḗ, “an abridgment, also a surface-incision”), from ἐπιτέμνω (epitémnō, “I cut upon the surface, cut short, abridge”), from ἐπι- (epi-, “up”) + τέμνω (témnō, “to cut”).

Usage

Usually preceded by the definite article 'the' and followed by the preposition 'of'.

Pitfall

He is the epitome for successHe is the epitome of successThe noun almost exclusively takes the preposition 'of' to connect to the quality being described.

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