Definition

A grand narrative poem or literary work depicting heroic deeds and adventures, often of historical or legendary importance; adjective: impressively large, ambitious, or successful in a dramatic way.

Example Usage

Homer's Iliad is an epic poem, and that concert performance was absolutely epic.

Origin

From Latin 'epicus', from Greek 'epikos', derived from 'epos' (word, speech, poetry).

Fun Fact

The oldest known literary works, including the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Vedas, are all epics, suggesting storytelling on a grand scale is fundamental to human culture.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

Related Terms

Intermediate

Apocalypse

A catastrophic event that results in the destruction of civilization, often envisioned as the end of the world; also refers to an ancient Jewish or Christian prophetic writing that reveals divine mysteries about the end times. Used colloquially for any large-scale disaster.

🎓 Education / Academia
Advanced

cohort effect

The phenomenon where students who enter an academic program together share characteristics and outcomes that differ from other groups, making it tricky to determine if changes are due to the program or just that particular batch of humans. Basically, statistical proof that Year-of-the-Rat kids might actually be different from Year-of-the-Ox kids.

🎓 Education / Academia
Beginner

degree audit

An automated system that tracks your progress toward graduation requirements, often revealing you're missing some obscure course you've never heard of despite being a senior. Part helpful tool, part harbinger of fifth-year doom.

🎓 Education / Academia
Intermediate

practicum

The terrifying moment when academia kicks you out of the theoretical nest and forces you to apply what you've learned in the real world under supervision. It's essentially a college course where you can't hide behind textbooks anymore and must demonstrate you actually retained something from all those lectures. Think of it as the academic equivalent of "pics or it didn't happen."

🎓 Education / Academia
Intermediate

limerick

A humorous five-line poem with an AABBA rhyme scheme and a bouncy, anapestic meter, typically featuring absurd or whimsical scenarios and characters. Limericks are known for their irreverent tone and are often bawdy or nonsensical.

🎓 Education / Academia
Intermediate

uranium

The radioactive silvery-grey metal (atomic number 92, symbol U) that's simultaneously humanity's worst idea and best answer to energy problems. This actinide series element powers nuclear reactors, weapons, and decades of geopolitical anxiety. It's the element that proved scientists could split atoms but perhaps never asked whether they should.

🎓 Education / Academia

Translate This Term

See “epic” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on XShare on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Advanced

Neoconservative

A political philosophy emphasizing strong military interventionism and American global dominance, often advocated by for...