epitomize
to be a perfect example of something
TRANSLATION
epitomize = etwas verkörpern, der Inbegriff von etwas sein --- GOOGLE INDEX epitomize: approximately 500,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Aeroflot has long struggled with its poor reputation, which dates from the 1970s and 1980s when the airline seemed to EPITOMIZE lousy Soviet service.
(BusinessWeek magazine)
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"Nothing seemed to me to EPITOMIZE the excitement of the 20th century more than the fact we had put men on the moon."
- actor Patrick Stewart, also known as Star Trek's Captain Jean-Luc Picard
(BusinessWeek magazine)
---
"Nothing seemed to me to EPITOMIZE the excitement of the 20th century more than the fact we had put men on the moon."
- actor Patrick Stewart, also known as Star Trek's Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Did you
know?
epitomize (epitomise, UK)
verb
- to be a perfect example of a quality or type of thing
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
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Epitomize stems from the noun epitome, from the same Latin and Greek word meaning "an abstract or a brief statement of the chief points of some writing." Its use in the sense of a person or thing that typifies something was first recorded around 1603.
The Cambridge and Oxford dictionaries accept epitomize as the conventional spelling, although epitomise is used by most British newspapers and magazines. The original suffix "ize" stems from Greek via Latin and is the standard form in American English.
However, because French verbs from the same Latin and Greek sources all use the "ise" form, this has strongly influenced the British use of "ise" instead of "ize."
Irrespective of American "ize" or British "ise", some words are always spelled with "ise", these are:
advertise, advise, apprise, chastise, circumcise, comprise, compromise, demise, despise, devise, disfranchise, enfranchise, enterprise, excise, exercise, improvise, incise, premise, revise, supervise, surmise, surprise, televise.
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SYNONYMS
characterise, embody, exemplify, illustrate, mean, model, personify, represent, stand for, symbolise, typify
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"This year's employee award epitomizes the dedication and hard work that has led to the company's success."
verb
- to be a perfect example of a quality or type of thing
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
---
Epitomize stems from the noun epitome, from the same Latin and Greek word meaning "an abstract or a brief statement of the chief points of some writing." Its use in the sense of a person or thing that typifies something was first recorded around 1603.
The Cambridge and Oxford dictionaries accept epitomize as the conventional spelling, although epitomise is used by most British newspapers and magazines. The original suffix "ize" stems from Greek via Latin and is the standard form in American English.
However, because French verbs from the same Latin and Greek sources all use the "ise" form, this has strongly influenced the British use of "ise" instead of "ize."
Irrespective of American "ize" or British "ise", some words are always spelled with "ise", these are:
advertise, advise, apprise, chastise, circumcise, comprise, compromise, demise, despise, devise, disfranchise, enfranchise, enterprise, excise, exercise, improvise, incise, premise, revise, supervise, surmise, surprise, televise.
---
SYNONYMS
characterise, embody, exemplify, illustrate, mean, model, personify, represent, stand for, symbolise, typify
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"This year's employee award epitomizes the dedication and hard work that has led to the company's success."
