apotheosis
noun
ˌa-pə-ˈthē-ə-səs
Sam TanenhausDavid Leavin
Did you know?
Among the ancient Greeks, it was sometimes thought fitting to grant someone "god" status. Hence the word apothéōsis, from the verb apotheóō or apotheoûn, meaning "to deify." (All are rooted in Greek theós, meaning "god," which we can also thank for such religion-related terms as theology and atheism.). There's not a lot of literal apotheosizing to be had in modern English, but apotheosis is thriving in the 21st century. It can refer to the highest or best part of something, as in "the celebration reaches its apotheosis in an elaborate feast," or to a perfect example or ultimate form, as in "a movie that is the apotheosis of the sci-fi genre."
Examples of apotheosis in a Sentence
Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
But even with no products, no makeup, an no extra zhuzh, Ross and Union are the apotheosis of melanin magic.
—Essence, 29 Oct. 2025
Binet’s Porte was duly constructed late the following year and marked a kind of apotheosis of natural design incorporated within architecture.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
The engine and chassis trace their roots back to the mid-1990s, steadily refined year after year until this apotheosis.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for apotheosis
Cite this Entry
“Apotheosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apotheosis. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share