paragon

American  

[par-uh-gon, -guhn] / ˈpær əˌgɒn, -gən /

noun

1. a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence.

   a paragon of virtue.

   Synonyms:

   paradigm, exemplar, example, quintessence, epitome, standard, ideal

2. someone of exceptional merit.

   Just who is this paragon whose name is on everyone's lips?

   Synonyms:

   nonpareil, nonesuch

3. Printing. a 20-point type.

4. an unusually large, round pearl.

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verb (used with object)

1. Rare. to compare; parallel.

2. Archaic. to be a match for; rival.

3. Obsolete. to surpass.

4. Obsolete. to regard as a paragon.

paragon British  

/ ˈpærəɡən /

noun

1. a model of excellence; pattern

   a paragon of virtue

2. a size of printer's type, approximately equal to 20 point

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verb

1. archaic

   1. to equal or surpass

   2. to compare

   3. to regard as a paragon

Other Word Forms

• paragonless adjective

Etymology

Origin of paragon

First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French paragon, parangon “model,” from Old Italian paragone “touchstone,” from paragonare “to compare, test on a touchstone,” from Greek parakonân “to sharpen, whet,” equivalent to para- “beside, alongside” + akonân “to sharpen, whet,” a derivative of akónē “whetstone, bone”

Explanation

Paragon applies to someone who is a model of perfection in some quality or trait. We link paragon with other words that follow it, such as "paragon of virtue" or "paragon of patience." A paragon means someone or something that is the very best. The English noun paragon comes from the Italian word paragone, which is a touchstone, a black stone that is used to tell the quality of gold. You rub the gold on the touchstone and you can find out how good the gold is. You are hoping that it is the paragon of "goldness."

Example Sentences

According to his 1409 biography, Boucicaut was a paragon of knighthood and an athlete who followed a punishing physical training regime, capable of vaulting fully armed onto his horse’s back.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

Stephen Colbert doesn’t see himself as a paragon of progressivism.

From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025

And Lord knows I’m unmeasured in other areas day-to-day, too, so it’s not like I’m some paragon of containment, but yeah, just the revenge thing, there’s a lot of schoolyard stuff going on.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2025

It’s worth noting that Weiss herself does not appear to be a paragon of newsroom professionalism.

From Slate • Oct. 6, 2025

Founded in 1948, it was, in many ways, meant to be the paragon of suburban life, with mass-produced houses and cookie-cutter yards.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• apotheosis
• epitome
• exemplar