ne plus ultra
noun
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It is the height, the zenith, the ultimate, the crown, the pinnacle. It is the peak, the summit, the crest, the high-water mark. All these expressions, of course, mean "the highest point attainable." But ne plus ultra may top them all when it comes to expressing in a sophisticated way that something is the pink of perfection. It is said that the term's predecessor, non plus ultra, was inscribed on the Pillars of Heracles at the Strait of Gibraltar, which marked the western end of the classical world. The phrase served as a warning: "(Let there) not (be) more (sailing) beyond." The New Latin version ne plus ultra, meaning "(go) no more beyond," found its way into English in the early 1600s.
Examples of ne plus ultra in a Sentence
Vogue, 27 Feb. 2025
Consider that the fabled edifice on 125th Street in Harlem has for more than 90 years has been the ne plus ultra showcase for Black talent.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Through most of the twentieth century, the American steak house was the ne plus ultra of expense-account dining and billfold flexing.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
Consider that the fabled edifice on 125th Street in Harlem has for more than 90 years has been the ne plus ultra showcase for Black talent.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ne plus ultra
Cite this Entry
“Ne plus ultra.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ne%20plus%20ultra. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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