arete

¹

[ ahr-i-tey ]

noun

1. the aggregate of qualities, as valor and virtue, making up good character:

   Our greatest national heroes not only did extraordinary things, but had enormous arete.

arête

²

[ uh-reyt ]

noun

, Physical Geography, Geology.

1. a sharp rugged mountain ridge, produced by glaciation.

arête

/ əˈrɛt; əˈreɪt /

noun

1. a sharp ridge separating two cirques or glacial valleys in mountainous regions

arête

/ ə-rāt′ /

1. A sharp, narrow ridge or spur commonly found above the snow line in mountainous areas that have been sculpted by glaciers. Arêtes form as the result of the continued backward erosion of adjoining cirques.

Word History and Origins

Origin of arete¹

First recorded in 1550–70; from Greek aretḗ “excellence, virtue”

Origin of arete²

First recorded in 1860–65; from French: literally, “fishbone, ridge, bridge (of the nose),” from Old French areste “sharp ridge,” from Latin arista “ear of grain (wheat), awn”

Word History and Origins

Origin of arete¹

C19: from French: fishbone, backbone (of a fish), ridge, sharp edge, from Latin arista ear of corn, fishbone

Example Sentences

The tattoo I didn’t get was going to be the ancient Greek word “arete,” which means, among other things, excellence.

From New York Times

According to Ríos, at the orders of the defendant, the "arete" was put on an elevated area in front of a small graveyard they had dug.

From Fox News

Aristotle sought to rescue rhetoric from its place as a purely instrumental art: the highest rhetorical accomplishment, for Aristotle, was an expression of arete, or virtue.

From Literature

From this point the route angled steeply upward along a graceful arete of wind-compacted snow that culminated in the South Summit—where I arrived at 11:00 to find a second, even worse bottleneck.

From Literature

This funky goop, called gloios and thought to contain the essence of arete — valor, excellence — was often funneled into small vials and sold at gyms for medicinal purposes.

From New York Times

Related Words

• excellence
• fulfillment
• potential