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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shag carpeting reached the apogee of its popularity in the 1970s but is now considered outdated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
The spaceplane continued skyward on a ballistic trajectory, reaching a maximum altitude, or apogee, of 55.2 miles.
—
William Harwood, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2024
Moreover, the inner tension of that style inflects the rest of the film; Schrader’s spare image-making here reaches an apogee of lyricism, his sense of essential ornament appears forged in fire.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
The huge Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will send an Orion spacecraft into orbit, the systems will be checked out, the solid-fuel boosters will be jettisoned, and a liquid-propellant rocket will kick Orion into an elliptical high orbit, reaching an apogee of 110,000 kilometers.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Dec. 2023
But the military kept the exact orbit a secret, and amateur skywatchers will be closely watching for signs of the spaceplane passing overhead in hopes of estimating its apogee, perigee, and inclination.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 5 Jan. 2024
His political rise reached an apogee in 1976, when President Gerald Ford appointed Lozano as U.S. ambassador to El Salvador.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2023
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
William Harwood, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2024
Moreover, the inner tension of that style inflects the rest of the film; Schrader’s spare image-making here reaches an apogee of lyricism, his sense of essential ornament appears forged in fire.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
The huge Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will send an Orion spacecraft into orbit, the systems will be checked out, the solid-fuel boosters will be jettisoned, and a liquid-propellant rocket will kick Orion into an elliptical high orbit, reaching an apogee of 110,000 kilometers.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Dec. 2023
But the military kept the exact orbit a secret, and amateur skywatchers will be closely watching for signs of the spaceplane passing overhead in hopes of estimating its apogee, perigee, and inclination.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 5 Jan. 2024
His political rise reached an apogee in 1976, when President Gerald Ford appointed Lozano as U.S. ambassador to El Salvador.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2023
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
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 19 Apr. 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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