coryphee: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareFormal, Literary, Technical (Arts)
Quick answer
What does “coryphee” mean?
A leading dancer in a ballet company, specifically a principal dancer or a soloist.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A leading dancer in a ballet company, specifically a principal dancer or a soloist.
More generally, the term can refer to a principal or leader in any field, especially in artistic or intellectual domains, though this usage is rare and often metaphorical.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage between UK and US English. The word is equally rare in both varieties.
Connotations
Conveys a sense of high art, tradition, and perhaps a slightly old-fashioned or continental European cultural reference.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both dialects. More likely to be encountered in historical texts, ballet criticism, or erudite writing.
Grammar
How to Use “coryphee” in a Sentence
the coryphee of the Paris Operaa celebrated corypheeVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used within dance history, performing arts studies, or cultural history.
Everyday
Almost never used.
Technical
Used in professional ballet contexts, though 'principal' or 'soloist' are more common contemporary terms.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “coryphee”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “coryphee”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “coryphee”
- Misspelling as 'coryphe', 'coryphee', or 'coryphe'.
- Incorrectly using it as a general term for any good dancer rather than a specific rank.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an extremely rare word, mostly confined to historical or specialized texts about ballet.
A prima ballerina is the absolute female star of a company. Historically, a coryphee was a rank of soloist or principal dancer, which could be one step below the prima ballerina or a category of leading dancer.
It would be highly unusual and potentially confusing. While etymologically it means 'leader', its modern English usage is almost exclusively tied to ballet. Using it in a business context would be seen as a very forced or pretentious metaphor.
In British English, it is pronounced /ˈkɒrɪfeɪ/ (KORR-i-fay). In American English, it is often /ˌkɔːrɪˈfeɪ/ (kor-i-FAY), with the primary stress on the last syllable.
A leading dancer in a ballet company, specifically a principal dancer or a soloist.
Coryphee is usually formal, literary, technical (arts) in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “the coryphee of her generation”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'Cory Phee' as a person's name. Imagine someone named Cory who is a 'Phee-nomenal' lead dancer.
Conceptual Metaphor
A LEADER IS AT THE FOREFRONT. Coryphee literally means 'head' or 'leader' in Greek, mapping the concept of physical prominence in a dance formation onto leadership status in an art form.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary context for the word 'coryphee'?