Illustration of apogee
- 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).
Cite this Entry
“Apogee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apogee. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.
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