In today's chat, someone more erudite than I used the word apotheosis.

What is the distinction between that word and epitome?

An epitome is an example.

An apotheosis is a model example...

Interesting, the etymologies are from Greek apotheoo 'to deify' and epitemno 'to gash; cut short, abridge'.

I have only ever used the word apotheosis in the sense that zmj has identified - deification, raising to godhood, or perhaps in a slightly broader sense of a sudden (and not necessarilly religious) enlightenment.

I have always used epitome to mean "the best example" or maybe even "the ultimate example".

quote:

Originally posted by arnie:
An epitome is an example. An apotheosis is a model example.

I have to disagree on the first part, arnie. To me, you would not say, "Here is an epitome of ...," the an implying that there are others, that you could have two or more epitomies of the same thing. Rather, you'd say something A is the epitome of B, unique. I'd view it as "B in purest form."

But that leaves the question of apotheosis, a word I'm unfamiliar with. Does your post, arnie, imply that if epitome is the pure undiluted archetype of some trait, then apotheosis is the pure undiluted archetype of some praiseworthy trait worthy of emulation?

Interesting, Shu. I'd disagree with Arnie, too. I tend to use "epitome" to mean "unique" or "purest form" too. However, Dictionary.com seems to disagree. They define it as a "typical or standard example" or a "prototype."

Can't say that I use "apotheosis" in my daily conversation.

quote:

To me, you would not say, "Here is an epitome of ...," the an implying that there are others, that you could have two or more epitomies of the same thing. Rather, you'd say something A is the epitome of B, unique. I'd view it as "B in purest form."

quote:

I have always used epitome to mean "the best example" or maybe even "the ultimate example".

Those are pretty good definitions of apotheosis. The 'raising to godhood' meaning gives a clue to the meaning of the word in its other sense.

Similarly, an epitome is an example, not necessarily the only or best one. There's a clue to the meaning in its alternative meaning of a precis or summary of a book or article. Just as there can be many summaries, so there can be a number of epitomes.

I agree with you in theory arnie. It's just that on the rare occasions I have heard or used apotheosis it's always meant "deification" (either literally or figuratively) and I have always heard "the epitome" rather than "an epitome" which would seem to indicate, regardless of what the dictionary says, that people using it mean it to be a unique example.

Usage rules!

I first heard the word apotheosis from a Babylon 5 episode titled "Falling Towards Apotheosis" where the emperor of the Centauri planet believed he would be elevated towards godhood after death, and wanted his enemies to burn his planet as a funeral pyre for him. I've always thought that title was particularly poetic.

I've never heard apotheosis used in a similar sense of epitome, and until this discussion, I'm not sure I would have fully understood the usage.