zenith

noun

ze·​nith ˈzē-nəth 

 Canadian also and British usually  ˈze-nəth,

-nith

1

: the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the nadir and vertically above the observer see azimuth illustration

2

: the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body

3

: culminating point : acme

at the zenith of his powers

—John Buchan

Did you know?

Reaching the Zenith

When you reach the zenith, you're at the top, the pinnacle, the summit, the peak. Zenith developed from an Arabic phrase meaning "the way over one's head," and then traveled through Old Spanish, Medieval Latin, and Middle French before arriving in English. As long ago as the 1300s, English speakers used zenith to name the highest point in the celestial heavens, directly overhead. By the 1600s, zenith was being used for other high points as well. The celestial term is often contrasted with nadir, which refers to the point that is vertically downward from the observer (imagine a line going through the Earth from the observer's feet and out the other side into the sky). Figuratively, nadir simply means "the lowest point."

Synonyms

• pinnacle
• height
• peak
• culmination
• top
• apex

Examples of zenith in a Sentence

at the zenith of her career as a dancer

Recent Examples on the Web

The American Colonization Society (ACS), founded in 1819, reached its zenith of support by the 1850s. —Time, 14 July 2025

Already the pinnacle of luxury hospitality in Portofino, the Splendido has reopened after a multiyear renovation and upgrade — and there’s also an adjunct, five-suite villa that takes the grandeur of this upscale holiday playground to a new zenith. —Miles Socha, Footwear News, 28 June 2025

Leo will be about halfway to the zenith in the sky at this hour. —Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 26 May 2025

Not even the imaginary zenith of human civilization can overpower nature forever. —Devan Coggan, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cenyth, senyth, from Middle French cenit, from Medieval Latin, from Old Spanish zenit, modification of Arabic samt (al-ra's) way (over one's head)

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

zenith

noun

ze·​nith ˈzē-nəth 

1

: the point in the heavens directly overhead

2

: the highest point