panoply
noun
William BauckeS. P. B. MaisLewis Mumford
Did you know?
Despite having Greek origins and similar sounds, panoply is not related—etymologically or semantically—to monopoly; its history has more to do with Mediterranean warfare than Mediterranean Avenue. Panoply comes from the Greek word panoplia, which referred to the full suit of armor worn by hoplites, heavily armed infantry soldiers of ancient Greece. Panoplia is a blend of the prefix pan-, meaning “all,” and hopla, meaning “arms” or “armor.” (As you may have guessed, hopla is also an ancestor of hoplite.) Panoply entered English in the early 17th century with its Greek use intact: it referred to a full set of armor—an impressive array, you might say, of protective bits and bobs, from breastplates to brassards. Over time, panoply developed its figurative sense referring to an impressive, extensive collection or array of things, as in “She won the game by bankrupting her opponents with a panoply of properties built up with houses and hotels.”
Examples of panoply in a Sentence
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 11 May 2025
Whereas Dada had upset the artistic and sociopolitical status quo with a panoply of absurdist antics, Surrealism was approached as a research and development program that would leverage Dadaist gains to complete the societal revolution that Apollinaire and his fellow agitators started.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Indeed, Zurbarán’s subtle matte whites and his panoply of rich blacks fortify and sustain us.
—airmail.news, 30 Nov. 2024
Not to mention a chance to see a panoply of young actors, including Hugh Bonneville, Jonny Lee Miller, Toby Jones, Anna Friel and Tara FitzGerald, in early roles.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for panoply
Cite this Entry
“Panoply.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panoply. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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panoply
noun
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