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English borrowed "epigone" from German in the 19th century. The Germans themselves had taken the word from the Latin epigonus, which means "successor." The Latin term followed the Greek epigonos, which was often used in plural to designate the sons of seven legendary Greek leaders who were defeated at Thebes. "Epigonos" in turn came from the Greek verb epigignesthai, meaning "to be born after." "Epi-" can mean "after," and gignesthai means "to be born."
Examples of epigone in a Sentence
few of director Alfred Hitchcock's many epigones possess quite the same wit or style as the master
Recent Examples on the Web
But clearly no cautious epigone, Dawson responded to Dvorak’s charge with results that are entirely his own.
—
Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Mar. 2023
Ms. Yamaguchi is an heir of Tamara de Lempicka, epigone of Art Deco figuration.
—Roberta Smith, New York Times, 13 July 2017
That became the conventional wisdom once their stateside epigones took up the cry.
—Tom Carson, New York Times, 1 June 2016
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Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Mar. 2023
Ms. Yamaguchi is an heir of Tamara de Lempicka, epigone of Art Deco figuration.
—Roberta Smith, New York Times, 13 July 2017
That became the conventional wisdom once their stateside epigones took up the cry.
—Tom Carson, New York Times, 1 June 2016
Cite this Entry
“Epigone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epigone. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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