apotheosis

UK: /əˌpɒθiˈəʊsɪs/

US: /əˌpɑθiˈoʊsɪs, ˌæpəˈθiəsɪs/

US: (ə poth′ē ō′sis, ap′ə thē′ə sis)

Inflections of 'apotheosis' (n): npl: apotheoses

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•poth•e•o•sis /əˌpɑθiˈoʊsɪs, ˌæpəˈθiəsɪs/   n. [countable] , pl. -ses 

/-siz, -ˌsiz/.  
1. the elevation of a person to the rank of a god.
2. [~ + of] the ideal or best example (of something);
   epitome.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•poth•e•o•sis  (ə poth′ē ō′sis, ap′ə thē′ə sis), n., pl. -ses 

(-sēz, -sēz′). 
1. the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god.
2. the ideal example;
   epitome;
   quintessence:
   This poem is the apotheosis of lyric expression.

• Greek. See apo-, theo-, -osis
• Late Latin
• 1570–80

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

apotheosis / əˌpɒθɪˈəʊsɪs/ noun ( -ses / -siːz/)

1. the elevation of a person to the rank of a god; deification
2. glorification of a person or thing
3. a glorified ideal
4. the best or greatest time or event: the apotheosis of Messi's career

Etymology: 17th Century: via Late Latin from Greek: deification, from theos god