apogee

noun

apo·​gee ˈa-pə-(ˌ)jē 

1

: the point in the orbit of an object (such as a satellite) orbiting the earth that is at the greatest distance from the center of the earth

also : the point farthest from a planet or a satellite (such as the moon) reached by an object orbiting it compare perigee

2

: the farthest or highest point : culmination

Aegean civilization reached its apogee in Crete.

apogean

ˌa-pə-ˈjē-ən 

adjective

Illustration of apogee

• apogee 1

Did you know?

Of Apogees, Climaxes, and Culminations

Apogee is often used in its figurative sense, signifying the high point of a career, endeavor, or state (“she was at the apogee of her profession”). This meaning developed as a metaphorical extension of the word’s astronomical sense, denoting the farthest distance from earth of an object orbiting the planet.

A number of other English words that are synonymous with apogee have followed a similar path of figurative development from a technical meaning. Climax (“the most interesting and exciting part of something”) came into English as a term for a series of phrases arranged in ascending order of rhetorical forcefulness. And, very much like apogee, culmination (“the final result of something”) is also rooted in astronomy: it originally referred to the highest point a celestial body reaches in its daily revolution (for example, the sun’s height at noon).

Synonyms of apogee

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

Examples of apogee in a Sentence

shag carpeting reached the apogee of its popularity in the 1970s but is now considered outdated

Recent Examples on the Web

Gateway was meant to be launched into what NASA calls a near rectilinear halo orbit around the moon, with an apogee far above the lunar surface that demanded tight fuel constraints for landers needed to traverse the distance. —Josh Dinner, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2026

Was there ever another painter who so consistently corralled tension, conflict, emotion, and light to scale the apogee of human drama on the canvas? —Nicole Krauss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026

If a full moon occurs while the moon is at apogee, it is called a micromoon. —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026

That orbit will be a lopsided one, with a low point, or perigee, of 115 miles and a high point, or apogee, of 1,400—far higher than the 250-mile altitude at which the ISS flies. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French apogée, from New Latin apogaeum, from Greek apogaion, from neuter of apogeios, apogaios far from the earth, from apo- + gē, gaia earth

First Known Use

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for apogee

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

apogee

noun

apo·​gee ˈap-ə-(ˌ)jē 

: the point farthest from the center of a heavenly body (as the earth or the moon) reached by an object (as a satellite) orbiting it compare perigee