apotheosis
noun
ˌa-pə-ˈthē-ə-səs
Sam TanenhausDavid Leavin
Did you know?
Among the ancient Greeks, it was sometimes thought fitting to grant someone "god" status. Hence the word apothéōsis, from the verb apotheóō or apotheoûn, meaning "to deify." (All are rooted in Greek theós, meaning "god," which we can also thank for such religion-related terms as theology and atheism.). There's not a lot of literal apotheosizing to be had in modern English, but apotheosis is thriving in the 21st century. It can refer to the highest or best part of something, as in "the celebration reaches its apotheosis in an elaborate feast," or to a perfect example or ultimate form, as in "a movie that is the apotheosis of the sci-fi genre."
Examples of apotheosis in a Sentence
New York Times, 10 July 2025
In 1979, the artist Niki de Saint Phalle embarked on a two-decade-long project that would become the apotheosis of her life’s work.
—Kin Woo, Vogue, 30 June 2025
And so the walks are be becoming this kinda apotheosis of like response.
—Outside Online, 25 June 2025
The Promise And Perils Of AI Clippy didn’t represent the apotheosis of human innovation or an existential threat to human learning.
—Brady Gilliam, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for apotheosis
Cite this Entry
“Apotheosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apotheosis. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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