summum bonum
noun
sum·mum bo·num
ˌsu̇-məm-ˈbō-nəm 
ˌsü-,
ˌsə-
: the supreme good from which all others are derived
Examples of summum bonum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Like Paul on the way to Damascus, Scrooge suddenly acknowledges the bareness of his life and turns to benevolence, generosity and kindness as the summum bonum.
—
Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 1 Dec. 2024
Or with the uncontested idea that a rising income conveys you ever closer to the summum bonum?
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
For champions of progress, who often cite painless dentistry as the summum bonum, the surgery of the premodern period is nothing but a vile species of Grand Guignol.
—Will Self, Harper’s Magazine , 28 Sep. 2022
As both President Reagan and Nikita Khrushchev understood, in a world where material well-being has replaced more traditional conceptions of the summum bonum, the battlefield is first and foremost at home.
—Mathis Bitton, National Review, 12 Aug. 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 1 Dec. 2024
Or with the uncontested idea that a rising income conveys you ever closer to the summum bonum?
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
For champions of progress, who often cite painless dentistry as the summum bonum, the surgery of the premodern period is nothing but a vile species of Grand Guignol.
—Will Self, Harper’s Magazine , 28 Sep. 2022
As both President Reagan and Nikita Khrushchev understood, in a world where material well-being has replaced more traditional conceptions of the summum bonum, the battlefield is first and foremost at home.
—Mathis Bitton, National Review, 12 Aug. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Summum bonum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/summum%20bonum. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share