paragon

noun par·a·gon \ ˈper-ə-ˌgän , -gən , ˈpa-rə- \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: paragon in a Sentence

Editor's Note: paragon Has Old Italian and Greek Roots

Definition of paragon

: a model of excellence or perfection

was a paragon of goodness

a paragon of a wife

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Examples of paragon in a Sentence

in Arthurian legend, Sir Galahad is depicted as the one knight who is a paragon of virtue

Recent Examples of paragon from the Web

People who hone their voices in basement bars while yelling back at drunk hecklers are definitely not paragons of civility.

— karen mizoguchi, PEOPLE.com, "Samantha Bee Gives Fiery Apology for Calling Ivanka Trump the C-Word: 'Men Were Offended I Do Not Care'," 6 June 2018
This means that features like their seamless toe closure, elastic arch support, and deep heel pocket, all help make these paragons of design.

— megan gustashaw, GQ, "These Superior No-Show Socks Are a Summer Miracle," 11 May 2018
As a result, the Christian right wing adopted the penguin as a paragon of family values.

— National Geographic, "What You Think You Know About Animals? Probably Not True," 26 May 2018
But the upset has clearly weakened the sectarian foundation of Iraq’s political system — and helped transform Mr. Sadr’s image from the paragon of a militant Shiite into an unexpected symbol of reform and Iraqi nationalism.

— margaret coker, New York Times, "Once Hated by U.S. and Tied to Iran, Is Sadr Now ‘Face of Reform’ in Iraq?," 20 May 2018
The moves were unpopular among some religious conservatives, many of whom had viewed the Boy Scouts as a paragon of traditional values.

— terrence mccoy, Washington Post, "A Virginia hardware store. Allegations of homophobia. And the Boy Scouts.," 20 May 2018
Eley and Blackbourn also questioned whether élitist, imperialist Britain should be held up as the modern paragon.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "How American Racism Influenced Hitler," 23 Apr. 2018
In the boy’s mind, the image of his father is larger than life, woven from the mythology of the hunt and the romance of war: so much killing, such a paragon of manhood.

— laura collins-hughes, New York Times, "Review: Toxic Masculinity, Vonnegut Style, in ‘Happy Birthday, Wanda June’," 16 Apr. 2018
But his decisions in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election and after made him the paragon of controversy, as the FBI investigated the conduct of the two main party nominees.

— david shortell, CNN, "James Comey, former FBI director, strong-willed prosecutor and paragon of controversy, is ready to tell his story," 13 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'paragon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

paragon Has Old Italian and Greek Roots

Paragon derives from the Old Italian word paragone, which literally means "touchstone." A touchstone is a black stone that was formerly used to judge the purity of gold or silver. The metal was rubbed on the stone and the color of the streak it left indicated its quality. In modern English, both touchstone and paragon have come to signify a standard against which something should be judged. Ultimately, paragon comes from the Greek parakonan, meaning "to sharpen," from the prefix para- ("alongside of") and akonē, meaning "whetstone."

Origin and Etymology of paragon

Middle French, from Old Italian paragone, literally, touchstone, from paragonare to test on a touchstone, from Greek parakonan to sharpen, from para- + akonē whetstone, from akē point; akin to Greek akmē point — more at edge

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1548

in the meaning defined above

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