apotheosis

[ uh-poth-ee-oh-sis, ap-uh-thee-uh-sis ]

noun

, plural a·poth·e·o·ses [uh, -poth-ee-, oh, -seez, ap-, uh, -, thee, -, uh, -seez].

1. the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god.
2. the ideal example; epitome; quintessence:

   This poem is the apotheosis of lyric expression.

apotheosis

/ əˌpɒθɪˈəʊsɪs /

noun

1. the elevation of a person to the rank of a god; deification
2. glorification of a person or thing
3. a glorified ideal
4. the best or greatest time or event

   the apotheosis of De Niro's career

Word History and Origins

Origin of apotheosis¹

1570–80; < Late Latin < Greek. See apo-, theo-, -osis

Word History and Origins

Origin of apotheosis¹

C17: via Late Latin from Greek: deification, from theos god

Example Sentences

Other up-and-coming swing-state Democrats are famous for taking after Barack Obama, the apotheosis of the elite American success aesthetic, to a sometimes embarrassing degree.

From Slate

“The Outrun” feels like the apotheosis of that phase of her run, a movie that offers an intimate sense of catharsis, particularly for those who have been affected by addiction.

From Los Angeles Times

This revisionist history reached its apotheosis with a 2007 essay collection edited by the historians Kenneth T. Jackson and Hilary Ballon.

From Slate

Who among us wouldn’t like a fun-loving Momala to meme into political apotheosis?

From Slate

The apotheosis of this snowballing rediscovery — or “discovery,” as Guryan, who died in 2021, preferred to say — arrives this week with “Words and Music,” a lavish collection of recordings, many previously unreleased, from the boutique label Numero Group.

From New York Times

Related Words

• embodiment
• epitome
• exemplar
• ideal
• quintessence