epitome
- 01 C1 Advanced
a person or thing that is the best possible example of a quality or style.
the embodiment or quintessential example of a particular quality, class, or type.
Simple“The hotel was the epitome of luxury, with gold mirrors and silk sheets.”
In context“The designer's latest collection was hailed as the epitome of understated elegance, avoiding the loud logos common in modern fashion.”
UsageTypically used in the singular with the definite article 'the' followed by 'of' and a noun.
Teacher's tipLearners often mispronounce this word; remind them it has four syllables (eh-PIT-uh-mee) and the final 'e' is not silent.
PitfallHe is the epitome for kindness. He is the epitome of kindness.The noun epitome is almost always followed by the preposition 'of' to connect it to the quality being described.
Synonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
a short summary of a much longer book or piece of writing.
a brief summary or abstract of a literary work or text.
Simple“The student provided a short epitome of the long historical document.”
In context“The library contains several medieval epitomes of classical Greek texts that would otherwise have been lost to history.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is rare in modern conversation and is mostly found in academic or historical contexts regarding literature.
SynonymsAntonyms
“No wonder Alonso, who was the epitome of calm during his playing career, has focused on maintaining “emotional control” before opening his tenure as manager with Monday’s trip to Fulham.”
“Margaretha Zelle MacLeod’s stage name came to signify the epitome of the seductive female spy after she was executed by the French in 1917.”
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.