Paragon Meaning
/ˈpæɹəɡən/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA person of preeminent qualities, who acts as a pattern or model for others.
nounA companion; a match; an equal.
Sentence Examples
By all accounts, Fr. Mulligan was a paragon of virtue.
Tom is a paragon of honesty.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She was considered a ____ of virtue in her community, always helping others selflessly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She was considered a ____ of professionalism, always meeting deadlines and exceeding expectations.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Middle French paragon, paragone, from Old Italian paragone, from paragonare (“to test on a touchstone”), perhaps from Ancient Greek παρακονᾶν (parakonân, “to sharpen, whet”), from παρά- (pará-) + ἀκόνη (akónē, “whetstone, sharpening stone”), from ἀκή (akḗ, “point, edge”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”)).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"What a piece of worke is man! how Noble in Reaſon? […] the beauty of the world, the Parragon of Animals;"
— c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 262, column 2:
"That thou might'st cherish for thine own / The riches of sweet Mary's son, / Boy-Rabbi, Israel's paragon."
— 1847, R[alph] W[aldo] Emerson, “Threnody”, in Poems, Boston, Mass.: James Munroe and Company, →OCLC, page 246:
"Yes, there were instances of grandstanding and obsessive behaviour, but many were concealed at the time to help protect an aggressively peddled narrative of [Oscar] Pistorius the paragon, the emblem, the trailblazer."
— 2014 October 21, Oliver Brown, “Oscar Pistorius jailed for five years – sport afforded no protection against his tragic fallibilities”, in The Daily Telegraph (Sport):
"Liz Cheney and her father are positioning themselves as protectors of the old order, as paragons of truth and as defenders of our American norms."
— 2021 May 6, Charles M. Blow, “Liz Cheney, We Have a Memory. You’re No Hero.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
"A paragon must embody liberal democracy. To get its hands dirty defending it is below-stairs."
— 2023 February 11, Janan Ganesh, “After Germany’s fall, which is the paragon nation?”, in FT Weekend, London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 22:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She was considered a ____ of virtue in her community, always helping others selflessly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She was considered a ____ of professionalism, always meeting deadlines and exceeding expectations.