noun · verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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păr′ə-gən
păr′ə-gŏn′′
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈpæɹəɡən/
General-American:/ˈpæɹəˌɡɔn/
General-American:/ˈpæɹəˌɡɑn/
General-American:/ˈpæɹəɡən/
US:/ˈpær əˌɡɒn/
US:/ˈpær əˌɡən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:nMmmmRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P EH1 R AH0 G AA2 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A person of preeminent qualities, who acts as a pattern or model for others.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
In the novel, Constanza is a paragon of virtue who would never compromise her reputation.
Narrower terms: jimdandy, jimhickey, crackerjack, class act, humdinger
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French paragon, paragone, from Old Italian paragone, from paragonare (“to test on a touchstone”), perhaps from Ancient Greek παρακονᾶν (parakonân, “to sharpen, whet”), from παρά- (pará-) + ἀκόνη (akónē, “whetstone, sharpening stone”), from ἀκή (akḗ, “point, edge”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h2eḱ- (“sharp”)).
Across languages
Translations
86 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
образе́ц
(obrazéc)
— model or pattern
Chinese Mandarin:
典範 /典范
(diǎnfàn)
— model or pattern
Chinese Mandarin:
模範 /模范
(mófàn)
— model or pattern
Wu Chinese:
模範 /模范
— model or pattern
Czech:
vzor
— model or pattern
Czech:
ten, kdo jde příkladem
— model or pattern
Czech:
ideál
— model or pattern
Dutch:
toonbeeld
— model or pattern
Finnish:
perikuva
— model or pattern
Finnish:
esikuva
— model or pattern
French:
parangon
— model or pattern
German:
Vorbild
— model or pattern
German:
Muster
— model or pattern
German:
Leuchtturm
— model or pattern
German:
Inbegriff
— model or pattern
German:
Modell
— model or pattern
German:
Paradebeispiel
— model or pattern
German:
Musterknabe
— model or pattern
German:
Musterbeispiel
— model or pattern
Hebrew:
מוֹפֵת
(mofét)
— model or pattern
Indonesian:
pedoman
— model or pattern
Irish:
eiseamláir
— model or pattern
Manx:
ard-hampleyr
— model or pattern
Norwegian Bokmål:
forbilde
— model or pattern
Norwegian Bokmål:
mønsterperson
— model or pattern
Norwegian Bokmål:
paradeeksempel
— model or pattern
Persian:
نمونه
(nemune)
— model or pattern
Polish:
wzór
— model or pattern
Portuguese:
modelo
— model or pattern
Portuguese:
exemplo
— model or pattern
Romanian:
pildă
— model or pattern
Romanian:
model
— model or pattern
Romanian:
etalon
— model or pattern
Russian:
образе́ц
(obrazéc)
— model or pattern
Spanish:
dechado
— model or pattern
Spanish:
padrón
— model or pattern
Telugu:
మేలుబంతి
(mēlubanti)
— model or pattern
Turkish:
örnek
— model or pattern
Czech:
druh
— companion
German:
Gegenüber
— companion
German:
Begleiter
— companion
German:
Gleichgesinnter
— companion
Italian:
paragone
— companion
Polish:
towarzysz
— companion
Turkish:
eş
— companion
Czech:
srovnání
— comparison; competition
Czech:
soupeření
— comparison; competition
German:
Vergleich
— comparison; competition
German:
Wettbewerb
— comparison; competition
German:
Gegenüber
— comparison; competition
Italian:
paragone
— comparison; competition
Polish:
porównanie
— comparison; competition
Polish:
rywalizacja
— comparison; competition
Spanish:
parangón
— comparison; competition
Spanish:
paragón
— comparison; competition
Turkish:
denk
— comparison; competition
Bulgarian:
парагон
(paragon)
— 20-point type
Chinese Mandarin:
二十點活字 /二十点活字
— 20-point type
Wu Chinese:
廿點活字 /廿点活字
(nyae3tie2 weh4zy3)
— 20-point type
