sum·mit
(sŭḿĭt)
[Middle English somet, from Old French sommette diminutive of som, top, from Latin summum from neuter of summus, highest.]
noun
- The highest point or part; the top.
- The highest level or degree that can be attained.
- The highest level, as of government officials.
- A conference or meeting of high-level leaders, usually called to shape a program of action.
verb: -mit·ed, -mit·ing, -mits.
transitive verb
- To climb to the summit of (a mountain).
intransitive verb
- To climb to the summit.
synonyms:
summit, peak1pinnacle, acme, apex, zenith, climax These nouns all mean the highest point. Summit denotes the highest level attainable: “Thishad been the summit of Mr. Bertram's ambition” (Sir Walter Scott) Peak usually refers to the uppermost point: “It was the peak of summer in the Berkshires” (Saul Bellow) Pinnacle denotes a towering height, as of achievement: The articulation of the theory of relativity catapulted Einstein to the pinnacle of his profession. Acme refers to an ultimate point, as of perfection: The artist's talents were at their acme when this work was created. Apex is the culminating point: The military regime represented the apex of oppression and intimidation. Zenith is the point of highest achievement, most complete development, or greatest power: “Chivalry was then in its zenith” (Henry Hallam) Climax refers to the point of greatest strength, effect, or intensity that marks the endpoint of an ascending process: The government's collapse was the climax of a series of constitutional crises.
