epitomized

Epitomized is the past tense and past participle of epitomize. Epitomize has two related senses: to embody or typify something, especially as a perfect or quintessential example; and to summarize briefly or to present in a concise form. The latter sense is rarer today outside rhetorical or literary contexts; most often epitomize is used to indicate that a person, idea, or object embodies the essential characteristics of a broader category, movement, or era.

The term derives from Greek epitomē, meaning "summary" or "concise representation," from epi- "upon" + temnein "to cut." In English, epitomize began to be used in the 17th–18th centuries; epitomized gained currency as the past tense later.

Usage: In cultural analysis or critique, to epitomize a trend means to capture its core features in a single instance. In biography or description, one might say a figure epitomizes the American dream, the Renaissance spirit, or ethical leadership. In journalism and rhetoric, it can convey a sharp, condensed representation, though some writers reserve it for emblematic or paragon-like cases rather than for mere examples.

See also: epitome, epitomize, typify, archetype.