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- apogee 1
apogee
noun
apo·gee
ˈa-pə-(ˌ)jē 
1
: the point in the orbit of an object (such as a satellite) orbiting the earth that is at the greatest distance from the center of the earth
also
: the point farthest from a planet or a satellite (such as the moon) reached by an object orbiting it compare perigee
2
: the farthest or highest point : culmination
Aegean civilization reached its apogee in Crete.
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Of Apogees, Climaxes, and Culminations
Apogee is often used in its figurative sense, signifying the high point of a career, endeavor, or state (“she was at the apogee of her profession”). This meaning developed as a metaphorical extension of the word’s astronomical sense, denoting the farthest distance from earth of an object orbiting the planet.
A number of other English words that are synonymous with apogee have followed a similar path of figurative development from a technical meaning. Climax (“the most interesting and exciting part of something”) came into English as a term for a series of phrases arranged in ascending order of rhetorical forcefulness. And, very much like apogee, culmination (“the final result of something”) is also rooted in astronomy: it originally referred to the highest point a celestial body reaches in its daily revolution (for example, the sun’s height at noon).
Synonyms
Examples of apogee in a Sentence
shag carpeting reached the apogee of its popularity in the 1970s but is now considered outdated
Recent Examples on the Web
Virgin Galactic reported the craft reached an apogee, or high point, of about 87 kilometers (54 miles) and a top speed just shy of three times the speed of sound.
—
Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 13 Oct. 2023
This strategy of coercive punishment reached its apogee in World War II.
—Robert A. Pape, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2023
David and Victoria Beckham, who became an item in 1997, may have brought the pop star–sports hero dyad to its modern apogee, making a billion hearts flutter while creating an interstellar expansion in their consumer base.
—Andrew O’Hagan, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
The sensation reached an apogee one night following a meal of greasy quesadillas with hot peppers.
—Moises Velasquez-Manoff, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2023
Baroque Neapolitan Crèche The city of Naples is synonymous with the crèche, or Nativity scene, an art form that reached its apogee there in the eighteenth century.
—The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2023
The apogee—or high point—is 405,500 km (253,000 mi.).
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 2 Aug. 2023
In a news release, the company said its VSS Unity spacecraft reached an apogee of 87.2 km before landing at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 26 May 2023
The apogee of that is somewhere like Houston, where doing anything on foot is almost impossible.
—The Politics Of Everything, The New Republic, 26 Apr. 2023
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Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 13 Oct. 2023
This strategy of coercive punishment reached its apogee in World War II.
—Robert A. Pape, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2023
David and Victoria Beckham, who became an item in 1997, may have brought the pop star–sports hero dyad to its modern apogee, making a billion hearts flutter while creating an interstellar expansion in their consumer base.
—Andrew O’Hagan, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
The sensation reached an apogee one night following a meal of greasy quesadillas with hot peppers.
—Moises Velasquez-Manoff, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2023
Baroque Neapolitan Crèche The city of Naples is synonymous with the crèche, or Nativity scene, an art form that reached its apogee there in the eighteenth century.
—The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2023
The apogee—or high point—is 405,500 km (253,000 mi.).
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 2 Aug. 2023
In a news release, the company said its VSS Unity spacecraft reached an apogee of 87.2 km before landing at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 26 May 2023
The apogee of that is somewhere like Houston, where doing anything on foot is almost impossible.
—The Politics Of Everything, The New Republic, 26 Apr. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'apogee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
French apogée, from New Latin apogaeum, from Greek apogaion, from neuter of apogeios, apogaios far from the earth, from apo- + gē, gaia earth
First Known Use
1640, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Articles Related to apogee
Dictionary Entries Near apogee
Cite this Entry
“Apogee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apogee. Accessed 23 Feb. 2024.
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Kids Definition
apogee
noun
apo·gee
ˈap-ə-(ˌ)jē
: the point farthest from the center of a heavenly body (as the earth or the moon) reached by an object (as a satellite) orbiting it compare perigee
More from Merriam-Webster on apogee
Britannica English: Translation of apogee for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about apogee
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