Meanings
plural epitomes · plural epitomai
- The embodiment or encapsulation of a class of items.
This is a poore Epitome of yours, / Which by th'interpretation of full time, / May ſhew like all your ſelfe.
c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v], page 271 more example
But first I took up Ayesha's kirtle and the gauzy scarf with which she had been wont to hide her dazzling loveliness from the eyes of men, and, averting my head so that I might not look upon it, covered up that dreadful relic of the glorious dead, that shocking epitome of human beauty and human life.
1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLCSynonyms: exemplar, model, type, archetype, byspel, case, beau ideal, case in point
- A representative example.
The minute they see me, fear me / I'm the epitome of "public enemy"
1988, “Don't Believe the Hype”, in It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, performed by Public Enemy1 more example
Every single relationship in his life is transactional. That is incredibly pathetic and sad. That is the epitome of a loser.
2026 July 5, @clearlyfoggy.bsky.social, Bluesky (post), archived from the original on 05 Jul 2026Synonyms: quintessential, poster child, archetype, byspel, case, beau ideal, case in point, embodiment
- A brief summary of a text.
1 more example
Having now so amply declared unto thee most of the principal things of this thrice-renowned and illustrious city, I will briefly by way of an epitome mention most of the other particulars thereof, and so finally shut up this narration: there are reported to be in Venice and the circumjacent islands two hundred churches in which are one hundred forth-three pairs of organs, fifty-four monasteries, twenty-six nunneries, fifty-six tribunals or places of judgment, seventeen hospitals, six companies or fraternities, whereof I have before spoken; one hundred and sixty-five marble statues of worthy personages, partly equestrial, partly pedestrial, which are erected in sundry places of the city, to the honour of those that either at home have prudently administered the commonweal, or abroad valiantly fought for the same.
1611, Thomas Coryate, Coryat's Crudities hastily gobbled up in Five Months Travels in France, Italy, &c
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe embodiment or encapsulation of a class of items.
nounA representative example.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἐπιτομή“an abridgment, also a surface-incision”
- Latinepitomē
- Englishepitome
From Middle French, from Latin epitomē, from Ancient Greek ἐπιτομή (epitomḗ, “an abridgment, also a surface-incision”), from ἐπιτέμνω (epitémnō, “to cut upon the surface, cut short, abridge”), from ἐπι- (epi-, “up”) + τέμνω (témnō, “to cut”).
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans toonbeeld
- toonbeeldembodiment or encapsulation of
Ancient Greek ἐπιτομή, ἐπιτομή
- ἐπιτομή (epitomḗ)embodiment or encapsulation of
- ἐπιτομή (epitomḗ)summary
Arabic مَثَال
- مَثَال (maṯāl)embodiment or encapsulation of
Bulgarian въплъще́ние, резюме
- въплъще́ние (văplăšténie)embodiment or encapsulation of
- резюме (rezjume)summary
Chinese Mandarin 縮影 /缩影
- 縮影 /缩影 (suōyǐng)embodiment or encapsulation of
Czech ztělesnění
- ztělesněníembodiment or encapsulation of
Danish indbegrebet
- indbegrebetembodiment or encapsulation of
Dutch verwezenlijking, belichaming
- verwezenlijkingembodiment or encapsulation of
- belichamingembodiment or encapsulation of
- personificatieembodiment or encapsulation of
- toppuntthe height; the best
- samenvattingsummary
- synopsissummary
- uittrekselsummary
- excerptsummary
Estonian epitoom
- epitoomembodiment or encapsulation of
Finnish ruumiillistuma, ruumiillistuma
- ruumiillistumaembodiment or encapsulation of
- ruumiillistumarepresentative example
- malliesimerkkirepresentative example
- ruumiillistumathe height; the best
- tiivistelmäsummary
- abstraktisummary
- yhteenvetosummary
French résumé, épitomé
- résuméembodiment or encapsulation of
- épitoméembodiment or encapsulation of
- personnificationrepresentative example
- incarnationrepresentative example
- résumésummary
- abrégésummary
German Verkörperlichung, Abriss
- Verkörperlichungembodiment or encapsulation of
- Abrisssummary
Greek επιτομή, επιτομή
- επιτομή (epitomí)embodiment or encapsulation of
- επιτομή (epitomí)summary
Hebrew תמצית
- תמצית (tamtsot)embodiment or encapsulation of
Hungarian típuspélda, megtestesülés
- típuspéldarepresentative example
- megtestesülésrepresentative example
- megtestesítőrepresentative example
- megtestesültrepresentative example
- két lábon járórepresentative example
- összegzéssummary
- összefoglalássummary
- kivonatsummary
- foglalatsummary
- lényegsummary
Icelandic ímynd
- ímyndembodiment or encapsulation of
Irish gearrinsint
- gearrinsintsummary
Italian epitome, personificazione
- epitomeembodiment or encapsulation of
- personificazionerepresentative example
- incarnazionerepresentative example
- apicethe height; the best
- compendiosummary
- sommariosummary
- suntosummary
- sinossisummary
- epitomesummary
Japanese 縮図
- 縮図 (shukuzu)embodiment or encapsulation of
Māori karamata
- karamatathe height; the best
Norwegian innbegrepet
- innbegrepetembodiment or encapsulation of
Persian خلاصه
- خلاصهembodiment or encapsulation of
Polish ucieleśnienie, streszczenie
- ucieleśnienieembodiment or encapsulation of
- streszczeniesummary
Portuguese epítome, epítome
- epítomeembodiment or encapsulation of
- epítomesummary
Romanian personificare
- personificarerepresentative example
Russian воплоще́ние, олицетворе́ние
- воплоще́ние (voploščénije)embodiment or encapsulation of
- олицетворе́ние (olicetvorénije)embodiment or encapsulation of
- образец (obrazec)representative example
- эталон (etalon)the height; the best
- конспе́кт (konspékt)summary
- кра́ткое изложе́ние (krátkoje izložénije)summary
- резюме́ (rezjumɛ́)summary
Spanish epítome, personificación
- epítomeembodiment or encapsulation of
- personificaciónrepresentative example
- encarnaciónrepresentative example
- epítomesummary
- resumensummary
- sinopsissummary
Swedish sammandrag, personifiering
- sammandragembodiment or encapsulation of
- personifieringembodiment or encapsulation of
- inbegreppembodiment or encapsulation of
- inkarnationembodiment or encapsulation of
- personifikationrepresentative example
Turkish özet
- özetembodiment or encapsulation of
Yiddish יפּיטאַמי
- יפּיטאַמי (ypitami)embodiment or encapsulation of
Cite this entry
epitome. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epitome
“epitome.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epitome. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “epitome,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epitome.
Source: epitome on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.