Arete
/ˈærəti/noun
Excellence or virtue, especially the fulfillment of a person’s or thing’s inherent potential.
Did you know?In Homeric Greek, arete described excellence in action—especially courage, skill, strength, and nobility—and could apply to heroes, animals, weapons, or objects.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ar-
“A reconstructed root associated with fitting, joining, or being suitable; its connection to Greek arete is scholarly but not completely certain.”
Mycenaean Greek
Greek
𐀀𐀩𐀳𐀺 (possibly areta)
“A probable early Greek form connected with excellence or virtue, though the Linear B evidence is limited and interpretation remains cautious.”
Archaic Greek
Greek
ἀρετή (aretē)
“Excellence, prowess, or the quality that makes someone or something fulfill its function exceptionally well.”
Classical Greek
Greek
ἀρετή (aretē)
“Virtue or moral excellence; in philosophy, the cultivated excellence of character and reason.”
1920s
English
arete
“An English borrowing used in discussions of Greek ethics, philosophy, literature, and human excellence.”
Modern English
English
arete
“Excellence, virtue, or the realization of one’s highest capabilities.”
Explore more surprising origins