epitome

noun

epit·​o·​me i-ˈpi-tə-mē 

1

: a typical or ideal example : embodiment

the British monarchy itself is the epitome of tradition

—Richard Joseph

2

a

: a summary of a written work

b

: a brief presentation or statement of something

3

: brief or miniature form

—usually used with in

epitomic

ˌe-pə-ˈtä-mik 

adjective

or epitomical

ˌe-pə-ˈtä-mi-kəl 

Did you know?

Epitome Has Greek Roots

Epitome first appeared in print in the early 16th century, when it was used to mean "summary." If someone asks you to summarize a long paper, you effectively cut it up, mentioning only the most important ideas, and the etymology of epitome reflects this process: it comes from Greek epitemnein, meaning "to cut short." Your summary probably also presents all the key points of the original work, which may explain why epitome eventually came to be used for any person or object that is a clear or good example of an abstraction, as in "the epitome of grace" or "the epitome of health." We could go on and on... or could we?

Synonyms

• abstract
• breviary
• brief
• capsule
• conspectus
• digest
• encapsulation
• inventory
• outline
• précis
• recap
• recapitulation
• résumé
• resume
• resumé
• roundup
• run-through
• rundown
• sum
• sum-up
• summa
• summarization
• summary
• summing-up
• synopsis
• wrap-up

Examples of epitome in a Sentence

Terns, nicknamed sea swallows by fishermen, are superb flying machines, the epitome of beauty on the wing. —E. Vernon Laux, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2001

Manchester, then known as 'Cottonopolis' and perceived throughout the world as the epitome of the whirling fierceness of the industrial revolution.  … —Roy Jenkins, Gladstone, (1995) 1997

Hamilton thought the bank was a fait accompli, but he had not reckoned on Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Jefferson, the lover of rural virtues, had a deep, almost visceral hatred of banks, the epitome of all that was urban. —John Steele Gordon, American Heritage, July/August 1990

I didn't tell him that, at the time, I thought the place to be the epitome of bourgeois comfort; in those days I thought that there was some connection between creative talent and penury. —Ishmael Reed, "August Wilson," 1987, in Writin' Is Fightin',  1988

the golden rule is often cited as the epitome of moral conduct: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”

the prestigious prep school prides itself on being widely regarded as the epitome of tradition and old-fashioned values

Recent Examples on the Web

Known for their style, versatility, and prevalence in the celebrity fashion world, classic black dresses are the epitome of an effortlessly fashionable warm-weather uniform — as far as we’re concerned, at least. —Averi Baudler, People.com, 6 May 2025

Tyler is the epitome of Nick Saben’s coaching that focuses on the process not the result. —Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 3 May 2025

And, true to form, Trump's salvo of tariffs over the last several weeks—instituting a chaotic reciprocal tariff regime, only to walk it back for 90 days while increasing restrictions on Chinese exports—is the epitome of unpredictability. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025

Poilievre and DeSantis, both infamously thin-skinned, are the epitome of being able to dish it out but not take it. —Drew Nelles, Time, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek epitomē, from epitemnein to cut short, from epi- + temnein to cut — more at tome

First Known Use

1520, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

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Kids Definition

epitome

noun

epit·​o·​me i-ˈpit-ə-mē 

1

a

: a summary of a written work

b

: a brief statement of the main points or facts

2

: something thought to represent a basic quality or an ideal example

your response was the epitome of good sense