ne plus ultra
noun
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It is the height, the zenith, the ultimate, the crown, the pinnacle. It is the peak, the summit, the crest, the high-water mark. All these expressions, of course, mean "the highest point attainable." But ne plus ultra may top them all when it comes to expressing in a sophisticated way that something is the pink of perfection. It is said that the term's predecessor, non plus ultra, was inscribed on the Pillars of Heracles at the Strait of Gibraltar, which marked the western end of the classical world. The phrase served as a warning: "(Let there) not (be) more (sailing) beyond." The New Latin version ne plus ultra, meaning "(go) no more beyond," found its way into English in the early 1600s.
Synonyms
Examples of ne plus ultra in a Sentence
Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024
The Academy Awards is, of course, the ne plus ultra of Hollywood tickets, a show so drenched in glitter and glamour that, famously, even the famous sometimes don’t get an invite.
—USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024
Haley has layered several of them with white turtlenecks, the ne plus ultra of a Midwestern workhorse wardrobe.
—Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 22 Jan. 2024
Circa 2000, the ne plus ultra of cashmere sweaters was made by Lucien Pellat-Finet.
—Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2023
Creating the ne plus ultra of the jazz avant-garde while reclaiming the prehistory that underlay it, Ayler reconceived its place in Black American culture.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 July 2023
And for name recognition and potential hate-read appeal, a Goop assignment is the ne plus ultra of wellness writing.
—Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 19 Apr. 2023
The turbocharged Quattro coupe continues as the ne plus ultra of transport for the beautiful ski people, while the 4000S Quattro, true to Audi's promise, dips closer to regular folks' status.
—Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 18 Apr. 2023
There are drives, reveals, auctions, and, of course, the ne plus ultra of horsepowered pageantry, the Concours d’Elegance.
—Leena Kim, Town & Country, 1 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ne plus ultra.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
New Latin, (go) no more beyond
1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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Cite this Entry
“Ne plus ultra.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ne%20plus%20ultra. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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