eidolon means an image or representation of an idea; a representation of an ideal form; an apparition of some actual or imaginary entity, or of some aspect of reality. It carries an Arena rating of 1792, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, eidolon ranks #447 of 17,111 for Most Sublime Words, #601 of 17,093 for Most Storied Words, #1,460 of 17,123 for Most Malleable Words, #1,728 of 17,128 for Most Whimsical Words.
eidolon is pronounced /aɪˈdəʊlən/.
Why “eidolon” is a great word
A phantom, apparition, or insubstantial image, especially of an ideal form or a person. From the Ancient Greek εἴδωλον (eídōlon, "figure, apparition, phantom"), from εἶδος (eîdos, "form, shape, that which is seen"), from εἴδω (eídō, "I see"), it first entered English in the spectral quiet of the early nineteenth century (c. 1801–1820). Unlike an "idol," which is a concrete object of devotion, or an "archetype," which is a pure and universal pattern, an eidolon is the ghostly, particular emanation of that pattern. It is the beloved’s face persisting on the insides of the eyelids after parting, the perfect city shimmering just beyond the fog of memory, or the exact silhouette of someone felt just behind you in a crowded station, though they are continents away: the mind’s own, private, and most persuasive ghost.
noun
- An image or representation of an idea; a representation of an ideal form; an apparition of some actual or imaginary entity, or of some aspect of reality.e.g.“As a species it is extinct; as an eidolon it retains its corporeality – but only if maintained in a state of equipoise.”
- A phantom; a ghost or an elusive entity.
- An unsubstantial image; a spectre; a phantom.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- eidolic 70% match — Of or relating to an eidolon. vs eidolon →
- idolum 69% match — An insubstantial image; a spectre or phantom. vs eidolon →
- idea 66% match — An abstract archetype of a given thing, compared to which real-life examples are seen as imperfect approximations; pure essence, as opposed to actual examples. vs eidolon →
- eidolism 63% match — The belief in ghosts or phantoms; spiritualism. vs eidolon →
- eidolopoeia 60% match — A rhetorical technique in which a speech is attributed to a deceased person, a phantom, an image or an idol. vs eidolon →
- eidos 59% match — Form; essence; type; species. vs eidolon →
- ideoglyph 59% match — A symbol expressing an idea. vs eidolon →
- hierophany 58% match — A physical manifestation of the holy or sacred, serving as a spiritual eidolon for emulation or worship. vs eidolon →