noun
paragon
PA-ruh-guhn
noun
1
A person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a quality.
"She was held up as a paragon of patience."
"The old courthouse is a paragon of Victorian architecture."
How to Use Paragon
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA perfect model or example of some quality, often virtue.
Common pairings
a paragon of virtue
paragon of excellence
Word Forms
paragoned past tense, paragons plural, paragons singular
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She was held up as a _____ of patience.
Etymology
From Italian paragone, from paragonare ("to test against a touchstone"), from Greek roots meaning "to sharpen or whet" — the idea of testing something against a standard.