What does apices mean?
'Apices' is the plural form of 'apex,' referring to the highest points, tips, or culminating moments of things — whether physical objects like mountains and anatomical structures, or abstract achievements like careers and civilizations. The word carries a formal, precise register and appears most often in scientific, medical, and academic contexts: a doctor might describe scarring at the apices of the lungs, while a historian might date an empire's rise to its apices of territorial power. Alongside the anglicized plural 'apexes,' which is common in everyday speech, 'apices' preserves the word's Latin heritage and lends writing an authoritative tone. Because it denotes both literal summits and figurative high points, 'apices' is a versatile term for describing anything that reaches its utmost limit or finest expression.
nounThe plural of 'apex': the highest point or tip of something, or the culminating point of achievement or development.
- The highest points or tips of physical objects, such as mountains, structures, or organs (plural of apex)
- The points of greatest achievement, success, or development in a career, civilization, or process
"The climbers finally stood at the apices of the two twin peaks, surveying the valley below."
"The radiologist noted slight scarring at the apices of both lungs."
"Both empires reached their apices in different centuries, yet fell for remarkably similar reasons."
'Apices' is itself the standard plural of 'apex'; the singular is 'apex,' and the anglicized alternative plural 'apexes' is also widely accepted.
"The mountain range's apices were dusted with snow well into summer."
Doctors say 'apices' when they mean the very tops of your lungs — one of the few words whose plural sounds more elegant than its singular.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of apices
Like its singular 'apex,' the word 'apices' derives from the Latin 'apex,' meaning 'tip, peak, or summit,' a root that also gave English the adjective 'apical.' The Latinate plural has been retained in English since the word was adopted, particularly in technical and medical usage where Latin plurals remain conventional. Cognates and derivatives from the same root include 'apical' and 'apiculate,' both used in botany and anatomy to describe pointed or tip-like structures.
How apices is actually used
'Apices' is the standard Latinate plural of 'apex'; the anglicized plural 'apexes' is also acceptable and increasingly common in everyday English. In medical and scientific writing, 'apices' is strongly preferred, especially in phrases like 'the apices of the lungs.'
Easily confused with apices
'Axes' are either the plurals of 'axis' (lines) or 'axe' (tools), while 'apices' are the tips or highest points of things.