epigraph

noun ep·i·graph \ ˈe-pə-ˌgraf \

Updated on: 6 Mar 2018

1 : an engraved inscription

2 : a quotation set at the beginning of a literary work or one of its divisions to suggest its theme

Recent Examples of epigraph from the Web

Come for the Sylvia Plath epigraph, stay for, well, the whole thing.

— leor galil, Chicago Reader, "Archive Dive Nobody writes about Earth like Reader critic Monica Kendrick," 13 Feb. 2018
Egan also gestures to this paradox by choosing as her epigraph a quote from Herman Melville, who spent most of his life not on the island of Nantucket but on the island of Manhattan.

— amor towles, New York Times, "In ‘Manhattan Beach,’ Jennifer Egan Sets a Crime Story on the Waterfront," 3 Oct. 2017
An opening epigraph from Nietzsche about loneliness and demons suggests a deeper character study that never materializes.

— noel murray, latimes.com, "Routine thriller 'Don't Sleep' relies on supernatural boilerplate," 28 Sep. 2017
Which might as well be the epigraph for A View From the Bridge, running now at Goodman Theatre in an unforgettable production that originated with London's Young Vic in 2014.

— tony adler, Chicago Reader, "What would Arthur Miller say about immigration?," 27 Sep. 2017
Both versions served as inspiration for Hillary Clinton, who included the original quote as the epigraph to her new memoir, What Happened.

— jessica estepa, USA TODAY, "Kelly Clarkson is excited she got a mention in Hillary Clinton's book," 14 Sep. 2017
The poetic epigraph to The Great Gatsby, which was published to minimal critical or financial success in 1925, was written by Thomas Parke D'Invilliers—also known as F. Scott Fitzgerald.

— adrienne westenfeld, Town & Country, "17 Things You Didn't Know About F. Scott Fitzgerald," 1 July 2015
That could be the epigraph for your new book, Tom Scheerer Decorates.

— douglas brenner, House Beautiful, "Tom Scheerer on Designing an All-American House in Shades of Blue," 4 Aug. 2013
The book's epigraphs come from directors Peter Brook and Constantin Stanislavski.

— kathleen rooney, chicagotribune.com, "Inspired by Maurice Sendak, Julia Glass' latest novel eloquently explores intimacy," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'epigraph.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of epigraph

Greek epigraphē, from epigraphein

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1624

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Other Printing Terms

errata, leader, mechanical, notch, tittle, underscore, widow

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