apotheosis

/əˈpɑθiˌoʊsəs/

Other forms: apotheoses

If your teacher says the term paper you handed in last week is a work of genius that sets a new gold standard for the school, he's telling you your work is the apotheosis of term papers. The epitome. Perfection.

Hidden in the middle of apotheosis you'll find the Greek theos, meaning god. (Theology, the study of religion, has the same root.) Combine theos with apo "from" and you get a person, place, or thing that is so out-of-this-world amazing that it seems as if it's "from God." It's divine. You could make the assertion that Leonardo da Vinci was the apotheosis of genius and that the Mona Lisa is the apotheosis of all his paintings.

Definitions of apotheosis

1. noun

   model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
   synonyms: ideal, nonesuch, nonpareil, nonsuch, paragon, saint

   types:

   jimdandy, jimhickey

   someone excellent of their kind

   class act

   someone who shows impressive and stylish excellence

   humdinger

   someone of remarkable excellence

   type of:

   model, role model

   someone worthy of imitation
2. noun

   the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god)
   synonyms: deification, exaltation

   type of:

   worship

   the activity of worshipping