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Paragon Has Old Italian and Greek Roots
Paragon derives from the Old Italian word paragone, which literally means "touchstone." A touchstone is a black stone that was formerly used to judge the purity of gold or silver. The metal was rubbed on the stone and the color of the streak it left indicated its quality. In modern English, both touchstone and paragon have come to signify a standard against which something should be judged. Ultimately, paragon comes from the Greek parakonan, meaning "to sharpen," from the prefix para- ("alongside of") and akonē, meaning "whetstone."
Examples of paragon in a Sentence
The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2025
Of course, Trump was never a free-speech, pro-labor, anti-war paragon in the first place.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2025
Good question—after all, Jaguars are not renowned for being paragons of reliability.
—Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, 14 Feb. 2025
Did Mariners ownership direct Dipoto to fire Servais, his longtime friend and a paragon of decency?
—Andrew Baggarly, The Athletic, 24 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for paragon
Cite this Entry
“Paragon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paragon. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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