epitome

noun

epit·​o·​me i-ˈpi-tə-mē 

1

: a typical or ideal example : an example that represents or expresses something very well : embodiment

… J. D. Salinger managed to forge, in Holden Caulfield, the epitome of American adolescent disgruntlement for decades of young readers …

—Laura Miller

2

a

: a summary of a written work

Utilizing his summary but expanding upon it, I present my own epitome of the book …

—David B. Ruderman

b

: a brief presentation or statement of something

… the age where nations demonstrated economic achievements, gave an epitome of their trade and prospects …

—Peter Proudfoot

3

: brief or miniature form

… it occurred to him that a walk through the countryside was a sort of epitome of the passage through life itself.

—Paul Bowles

—usually used with in

… he showed in epitome his qualities as a historian and a biographer.

—Oliver Wendell Holmes

epitomic

ˌe-pə-ˈtä-mik 

adjective

or epitomical

ˌe-pə-ˈtä-mi-kəl 

Did you know?

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. 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."

Synonyms of epitome

• summary
• summa
• outline

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

But thanks to the classic cut and cozy wool/cashmere blend, this sweater is the epitome of quiet luxury, despite being extremely orange. —Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025

After an 18-month renovation, Chanel will reopen its landmark store on Saturday at Shanghai’s Plaza 66 — the epitome of luxury retail in the major Chinese hub. —Denni Hu, Footwear News, 20 Nov. 2025

Kelly, however, is the epitome of this idea. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025

Worse, in today’s single world, Cal, who hasn’t dated in decades, stands out as the epitome of un-smooth. —Caitlin White, Variety, 10 Nov. 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

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

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