apotheosis

noun

apo·​the·​o·​sis ə-ˌpä-thē-ˈō-səs  ˌa-pə-ˈthē-ə-səs 

plural apotheoses ə-ˌpä-thē-ˈō-ˌsēz 

ˌa-pə-ˈthē-ə-ˌsēz

1

a

: the perfect form or example of something : quintessence

the apotheosis of Hollywood glamour

… Nelson Rockefeller, the other top contender and the apotheosis of liberal Republicanism.

—Sam Tanenhaus

b

: the highest or best part of something : peak

The city reaches its apotheosis at the holiday …

—David Leavin

2

: elevation to divine status : deification

the apotheosis of Roman emperors

apotheosize

ˌa-pə-ˈthē-ə-ˌsīz 

ə-ˈpä-thē-ə-

transitive verb

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."

Synonyms

• acme
• beau ideal
• byword
• classic
• epitome
• exemplar
• ideal
• perfection
• quintessence

Examples of apotheosis in a Sentence

the apotheosis of the picaresque novel

Recent Examples on the Web

That scene at the opera was, for me anyway, the apotheosis of it. —Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 26 Apr. 2025

But humanity is not progressing toward an apotheosis. —A. Wess Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025

The Super Bowl, in particular, is the apotheosis of appointment TV, and remarkably most U.S. viewers kept that appointment even when the score was 24-0 at halftime. —Emil Steiner, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025

For me, the apotheosis of grandeur and scintillation was Northbrook Court in the 1980s. —David Petitti, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin apotheōsis "transformation into a god, deification," borrowed from Greek apothéōsis, from apotheō-, variant stem of apotheóō, apotheoûn "to transform into a god, deify" (from apo- apo- + theoûn "to make a god of," verbal derivative of theós "god") + -sis -sis — more at theo-

First Known Use

circa 1580, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for apotheosis

• amyloidosis
• anaplasmosis
• anastomosis
• aponeurosis
• aspergillosis
• blastomycosis
• coccidiosis
• cryptococcosis
• cysticercosis
• endocytosis
• exocytosis
• furunculosis

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