summit

1 of 2

noun

sum·​mit ˈsə-mət 

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

summit

2 of 2

verb

summited; summiting; summits

intransitive verb

1

: to participate in a summit conference

2

: to climb to the summit

summited on May 29

Synonyms of summit

Noun

• pinnacle
• top
• zenith
• peak
• height
• culmination
• apex

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of summit in a Sentence

Noun

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 on the Web

Noun

Finally, leaders of remote employees need to invest in in-person resources and experiences, whether that be coworking space, regional team meetups, all-company summits, or all of the above. —Justin Harlan, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2026

From the sky their Andean summits floated by at eye level above the cloud cover. —Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026

Verb

Lifelong Wyoming resident David Willms spent years of his childhood fishing a nearby reservoir flanked by Elk Mountain, dreaming about summiting it someday. —Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 7 Jan. 2026

Barbosa traveled to New Hampshire to summit Mount Washington, a peak notorious for its unpredictable and often brutal weather conditions. —Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1955, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing summit

• pre-summit

Rhymes for summit

• plummet

Kids Definition

summit

noun

sum·​mit

ˈsəm-ət

1

: top entry 1 sense 1a, apex

especially : the highest point (as of a mountain)

2

: the topmost level that can be reached

3

a

: the highest level of officials

especially : the diplomatic level of heads of government

b

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