epigraph

noun

ep·​i·​graph ˈe-pə-ˌgraf How to pronounce epigraph (audio)
1
: an engraved inscription
2
: a quotation set at the beginning of a literary work or one of its divisions to suggest its theme

Examples of epigraph in a Sentence

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.
That’s the bitter epigraph that opens this invigorating first episode of Death by Lightning, and one important aspect of the book on which this miniseries is based, Candice Millard’s Destiny of the Republic, is that the 20th president didn’t deserve to be forgotten. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025 These words are also as good an epigraph for the Trump era as any. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025 On one of his coding projects, the character added a curiously literary epigraph as a flourish above both of their names. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2025 The Sibyl appears in the epigraph of The Wasteland, unable to foretell her own death. Vipin Bharathan, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for epigraph

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek epigraphḗ "act of inscribing, inscription," noun of action from epigráphein "to mark the surface of, graze, scratch a mark on, inscribe" — more at epigram

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of epigraph was in 1624

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Epigraph.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epigraph. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!