ne plus ultra
noun
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It is the height, the zenith, the ultimate, the crown, the pinnacle. It is the peak, the summit, the crest, the high-water mark. All these expressions, of course, mean "the highest point attainable." But ne plus ultra may top them all when it comes to expressing in a sophisticated way that something is the pink of perfection. It is said that the term's predecessor, non plus ultra, was inscribed on the Pillars of Heracles at the Strait of Gibraltar, which marked the western end of the classical world. The phrase served as a warning: "(Let there) not (be) more (sailing) beyond." The New Latin version ne plus ultra, meaning "(go) no more beyond," found its way into English in the early 1600s.
Synonyms
Examples of ne plus ultra in a Sentence
Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2024
As a bonus: Already the ne plus ultra of mother-daughter cringe comedy, Kath & Kim manages nevertheless to up the absurdist ante with the fact that Turner and Craig are just one year apart in age — a surreal detail echoed by one of today’s own cringe cult comedies, PEN15.
—Alexis Gunderson, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
By contrast, and fortunately for us, sitting just to Monsieur Pinault’s left in this shot, is the ne plus ultra of global peacocks and not least, the most buff aging rocker there is, Lenny Kravitz, age 60.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
The Paris couture runways are known for being ne plus ultra for both boundary-pushing design and formidable craftsmanship, but the style outside shows can be just as inspirational.
—Alex Badia, WWD, 2 July 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Ne plus ultra.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ne%20plus%20ultra. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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