Epitome
/ɪˈpɪtəmi/
Definitions
2 meaningsA person or thing that is a perfect example of a particular quality or type.
/ɪˈpɪtəmi/
A perfect example or embodiment of something.
He is the epitome of the modern gentleman.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone who is the BEST at something. If someone is the epitome of kindness, they're like the absolute kindest person ever! Like, if there were a kindness competition, they'd win, hands down. It's like the ultimate example, the top-tier representative.
👶 For kids: It's like the bestest example of something! If someone is the epitome of being helpful, it means they're SUPER helpful and always ready to lend a hand.
More Examples
The Taj Mahal is the epitome of Mughal architecture.
Her life was the epitome of a rags-to-riches story.
The film is the epitome of a summer blockbuster.
How It's Used
"She is the epitome of grace and elegance."
"The novel presented the epitome of human ambition."
A condensed account; a summary.
/ɪˈpɪtəmi/
The article offers an epitome of the current political climate.
💡 Simply: Think of it as a really short version or summary of something. Like, the epitome of a long book is a brief overview of what it's about. It's the main points all rolled up into one.
👶 For kids: It's like a super short version of a story or something big. Like, if you read a really long book, the epitome is just the important parts.
More Examples
She gave an epitome of the research findings.
The presentation provided an epitome of the company's achievements.
The book includes an epitome of classical philosophy.
How It's Used
"The book provides an epitome of European history."
"The lawyer presented an epitome of the case before the jury."
Idioms & expressions
the epitome of
The perfect example of something.
"She's the epitome of grace."
From Greek *epitomē* (abridgment), from *epitemnein* (to cut short), from *epi-* (upon) + *temnein* (to cut). Originally referred to a summary or abstract, it evolved to represent the perfect example.
The word 'epitome' has been used in English since the 16th century, initially to refer to summaries or abstracts, and later expanded to mean a perfect embodiment.
Memory tip
Think of the 'epi' as 'excellent' and 'tome' as a 'volume' of perfection.