ACME Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com (original) (raw)

noun

1. the highest point; summit; peak.

   The empire was at the acme of its power.

noun

1. the culminating point, as of achievement or excellence; summit; peak

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• acmatic adjective
• acmic adjective

Etymology

Origin of acme

First recorded in 1560–70, from Greek akmḗ “point, highest point, extremity”

Explanation

When something is at the very peak of perfection, reach for this noun from Greek: acme. A brilliant violinist might reach the acme of her career, but eventually she might become unstrung. This noun referring to the highest point of something might sound comical because it has shown up so often in cartoons as the name of a company, such as the one that makes Wile E. Coyote's contraptions in the old Warner Brothers cartoons. But the word is actually a serious-minded import from Greek. Near synonyms for high points include zenith, summit, pinnacle, apex, and peak, but acme has a special nuance for an ultimate point of perfection.

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Vocabulary lists containing acme

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The 65-year gap between the song’s original release and its acme position is the longest in history, according to Billboard.

FromLos Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2023

“These reflect the infamous Sun Tzu quote, ‘the acme of skill is to win a war without firing a shot,’” Mr. McCreight wrote.

FromWashington Times • May 24, 2023

While he took issue at the time with being labeled as a "male Carole King," Rundgren's double-album was released at the acme of the singer-songwriter era.

FromSalon • Feb. 9, 2022

“I devote myself to the acme of emptiness,” says another.

FromNew York Times • Apr. 20, 2021

Mr. Swan’s arrangements for conducting the various parts of his process are very extensive and complete; and his mode of “developing and transferring” seems to be the very acme of perfection.

From The Evolution of Photography With a Chronological Record of Discoveries, Inventions, etc., Contributions to Photographic Literature, and Personal Reminescences Extending over Forty Years by Werge, John

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.