epitome

noun

i-ˈpi-tə-mē How to pronounce epitome (audio)
Definition of epitomenext
1
as in summary
a short statement of the main points the golden rule is often cited as the epitome of moral conduct: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in manifestation
a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality) the prestigious prep school prides itself on being widely regarded as the epitome of tradition and old-fashioned values in his finely tailored suit, he was the very epitome of style and sophistication

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3
as in classic
the most perfect type or example Mahatma Gandhi is often cited as the epitome of resolute reformer who uses nonviolence to bring about social and political change

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of epitome Her thoughts, ideas, and connections, are ricocheting and forming spectacular creations that are the epitome of what a brain at its most powerful can achieve. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026 Beauseen Genuine Leather Penny Loafers Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s style was the epitome of timeless. — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026 The epitome of an American success story, Dolly grew up poor, living in a tiny, one-room cabin without electricity or running water in the mountains of East Tennessee, with 11 siblings. — Nicole Russell, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 Back home and in country music, the epitome of success was to be on the Grand Ole Opry. — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for epitome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epitome
  1. summary
  2. manifestation
  3. classic
  4. summa
  5. incarnation
  6. ideal
  7. outline
  8. essence
Noun
  • Charms on a bracelet sold through TikTok Shop, also advertised as sterling silver, contained about 33% cadmium, roughly 3,300 times the limit, according to trade publication JCK’s summary of the report.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Pew Research Center found that users clicked a traditional result on 8% of visits when an AI summary appeared, compared with 15% without one.
    — Mark van Berkel, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of summary
Noun
  • Turns out, Shakespeare didn’t have to decide, because the story works equally well whether the reader believes the figure is ectoplasm in the castle courtyard or is a psychological manifestation of Hamlet’s nagging conscience.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The demonstrations became a more widespread manifestation of anger and anxiety about education, employment, and general livelihood issues.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of manifestation
Noun
  • The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister An eerie fable that seems to take place across and outside of time, The Bog Wife is already a classic of the modern bog-core genre.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Its Lotus and Talisman collections, alongside solitaires and diamond classics, are being developed as recognizable signatures that can be worn, layered and collected over time.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of classic
Noun
  • The stage was set for the Fourth, whose five movements add up to a summa of Bartók’s art, by turns tenaciously labored, sinuously swirling, nocturnally eerie, pizzicato-punchy, and flat-out wild.
    — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
  • Alas, Dostoevsky — all of whose major characters clearly embody aspects of his own extremist personality — died in 1881, shortly after completing this summa of his most deeply felt themes and obsessions.
    — Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2023
Definition of summa
Noun
  • Most of these programs did not have physical forms in their original MCU incarnations, but appear in human form within the world inside Vision’s mind.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • At the Zurich conference, Mayer noted that CoComelon‘s Netflix incarnation was the streamer’s most popular title from 2021-2024.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of incarnation
Noun
  • In practice, socialism operated more as a moral ideal for egalitarian liberals than as a discernible electoral strategy.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Of course, one is inevitably loaded with expectations and prejudices, but the ideal of letting the work teach you how to consider it, as the philosopher Stanely Cavell counseled, is a useful starting point.
    — Lola Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of ideal
Noun
  • In 2006, Liu, after being approached by Re-Wrap, a women’s textile coöperative in India, helped design the famous tote, which has an outline of the Marylebone shop façade.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Both Meta and OpenAI outline privacy policies for their new AI agents, which operate on their own dedicated cloud computers.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of outline
Noun
  • But Williams, with her trademark video diaries, has distilled a vision of contemporary New York to its purest essence.
    — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
  • One wants to know her stories, but more than that one wants to know her essence.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of essence

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Cite this Entry

“Epitome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epitome. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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