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

Sandringham gained notoriety in the winter of 2020 when a summit of the most senior members of the family took place there to decide the fate of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who wanted to step back from their working royal lives and start a new direction elsewhere. —Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025

Spiral friezes depicting the Roman Empire’s wars under Aurelius wrap 23 times around the monument, forming a continuous narrative from base to summit. —CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025

Verb

Because there is no escalator to the top of the dome, Chalamet would have to summit a maze of catwalks and gangplanks in full protective gear. —Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2025

One British team this season summited Everest in less than a week by using Xenon gas to boost oxygen levels in their blood. —Cecilia Vega, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025

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)