apotheosis

noun

plural apotheoses ə-ˌpä-thē-ˈō-ˌsēz How to pronounce apotheosis (audio)
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 How to pronounce apotheosis (audio)
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."

Examples of apotheosis in a Sentence

the apotheosis of the picaresque novel
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While there have been notable boxing films after Raging Bull (Ali, The Fighter, Creed), and with all respect to Sylvester Stallone and Apollo vs. Rocky, the final battle between Jake and Sugar Ray possibly reflects the apotheosis of the genre. Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2024 As a matter of technique, the artist’s SECONDARY then represents a kind of apotheosis of such an approach, magnified here in evocative superimpositions. Tim Griffin, Artforum, 1 May 2022 But Figes clearly sees Stalinism as the apotheosis of the Soviet regime. Keith Gessen, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2014 In that sense, the Passwords app is the apotheosis of everything Apple has been doing over the last decade to make passwords less of a pain for normal people who just don't want to think about them. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 18 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for apotheosis 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of apotheosis was circa 1580

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Cite this Entry

“Apotheosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apotheosis. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

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