summit

noun sum·mit \ ˈsə-mət \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: summit in a Sentence

Definition of summit

1 : top, apex; especially : the highest point : peak

2 : the topmost level attainable

the summit of human fame

3 a : the highest level of officials; especially : the diplomatic level of heads of government

b : a conference of highest-level officials (such as heads of government)

an economic summit

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Examples of summit in a Sentence

The mountain range has summits over 10,000 feet high.
The climbers failed to reach the summit.
Leaders of several nations attended the economic summit.
A summit on global warming was held that year.

Recent Examples of summit from the Web

The man had driven from Texas and made his climb to the summit on Thursday, CBS Portland affiliate KOIN reports.

— CBS News, "Man rescued from Mount Hood after climbing it to kill himself, authorities say," 13 July 2018
The main trail to the summit is still choked with debris.

— gregory b. hladky, courant.com, "'Unfortunately, Mother Nature Took It Away.' Sleeping Giant State Park Remains Unrecognizable As Storm Cleanup Continues," 11 July 2018
From the 39th floor to the summit are condominiums that start at $3.2 million.

— john king, SFChronicle.com, "New nimble, frisky SoMa tower fits neatly into surroundings," 6 July 2018
The two sides have also had some summit meetings, and the local city councilman has toured the street.

— claudia vargas, Philly.com, "'Nightmare on Monroe Street': A tiny Queen Village block's six-year feud with the Philly Water Department," 6 July 2018
The trip, paid for by Turning Point USA, would cover about $325 in airfare, the $15 attendance fee to the summit and lodging.

— erika pesantes, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Pro-gun rights Parkland student Kyle Kashuv invites students to D.C. summit," 5 July 2018
For mountaineers who scale Everest, there is no place higher to summit.

— phil davison, BostonGlobe.com, "Donald Ritchie, 73, record-setting ultrarunner," 30 June 2018
Get off at the last stop, Hűvösvölgy, and climb up to a summit or descend down into a valley.

— j.s. marcus, WSJ, "The Best of Budapest: A Guide for Strategic Travelers," 27 June 2018
Deschamps’ group is relatively young, impressively deep and is getting closer to the summit, from the quarterfinal defeat by Germany in ’14 to the upset loss to Portugal in the Euro 2016 final.

— brian straus, SI.com, "France Keeps Growing Into a World Cup It's Talented Enough to Win," 26 June 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of summit

Middle English somete, from Anglo-French sumet, diminutive of sum top, from Latin summum, neuter of summus highest — more at sum

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First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

summit Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of summit

summit, peak, pinnacle, climax, apex, acme, culmination mean the highest point attained or attainable. summit implies the topmost level attainable.

- at the summit of the Victorian social scene

peak suggests the highest among other high points.

- an artist working at the peak of her powers

pinnacle suggests a dizzying and often insecure height.

- the pinnacle of worldly success

climax implies the highest point in an ascending series.

- the war was the climax to a series of hostile actions

apex implies the point where all ascending lines converge.

- the apex of Dutch culture

acme implies a level of quality representing the perfection of a thing.

- a statue that was once deemed the acme of beauty

culmination suggests the outcome of a growth or development representing an attained objective.

- the culmination of years of effort

summit

verb

Definition of summit

summited; summiting; summits

intransitive verb

1 : to participate in a summit conference

2 : to climb to the summit

summited on May 29

Recent Examples of summit from the Web

Plain started with 16,067-foot Vinson Massif in Antarctica, summiting on January 16, 2018.

— alan arnette, Outside Online, "Bagging the Highest Peak on Every Continent—in 117 Days," 7 June 2018
Tom Choate, who in 2013 became the oldest man to summit Denali at the age of 78, was there.

— devin kelly, Anchorage Daily News, "A new hut with dramatic views rose up this summer in Alaska’s Hatcher Pass backcountry," 8 July 2018
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington At 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier is a magnificent fourteener to summit with your budding peakbagger.

— leslie hsu oh, Outside Online, "The Best National Parks for Kids," 22 June 2018
George Mallory and Edward Felix Norton took part in the first attempt to summit Everest.

— caroline malone and katy scott, CNN, "How a double amputee conquered Everest, 43 years after his first attempt," 6 June 2018
Now 50, the Calgary native has crossed the Arabian Peninsula’s Rub’ al Khali desert, summited the highest peak on each of the seven continents and scaled Mount Everest twice.

— alex prewitt, SI.com, "The Great Wait Is Finally Over: After 13 Seasons, Alex Ovechkin Is a Stanley Cup Champion," 11 June 2018
That isn’t to say that summiting the region’s peaks is easy.

— peter fish, San Francisco Chronicle, "A mountain lover’s guide to the Shasta-Cascade region," 7 June 2018
In 2017, Jeff Glasbrenner, an American single amputee, summited in 2017.

— casey quackenbush, Time, "A 69-Year-Old Double Amputee Has Just Climbed Mount Everest," 14 May 2018
The man appears to have fallen while summiting the south side of the mountain.

— jamie hale, OregonLive.com, "Winds, snow complicating recovery of dead climber on Mount Adams," 29 May 2018

First Known Use of summit

1972

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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SUMMIT Defined for English Language Learners

summit

noun

Definition of summit for English Language Learners

: the highest point of a mountain : the top of a mountain
: the highest level
: a meeting or series of meetings between the leaders of two or more governments