English Lexicon

Showpiece

/ˈʃoʊ.piːs/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A person or thing that is an outstanding example of a particular quality or type.

    "The newly renovated library is a showpiece of modern sustainable architecture."
  2. 2

    An item displayed to the public as a prime example of excellence, achievement, or design.

    "The museum's grand gallery houses the crown jewels as its central showpiece."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the combination of the verbs 'show' (from Old English 'scēawian') and 'piece' (from Old French 'pièce'). Originally coined in the 19th century to denote an item manufactured or displayed specifically to exhibit excellence or superior craftsmanship.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Showpiece"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Showpiece"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Showpiece" Synonym Map