νῖκος
nîkos
G3534 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Victory, conquest; the state or act of prevailing over an opponent or challenging circumstance. In various contexts, it may denote the result of a contest (victory), or the ability to overcome resistance or difficulty. The primary meaning is the abstract concept of victory rather than a specific event, person, or method of conquering.
Semantic Range
victory, conquest, triumph, overcoming (as a state), the result of prevailing
Root / Etymology
Derived from the Greek root νικ-, as in νίκη (victory), indicating the concept of overcoming or prevailing. νῖκος is related to νίκη, but more rarely attested; the two share the same semantic field. No evidence for borrowing from another language; this is a Greek formation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
νῖκος is a rare noun in Greek, overshadowed in frequency and prominence by the more common νίκη. While νίκη is widely used in both classical and Hellenistic Greek for 'victory,' particularly in military, athletic, and metaphorical contexts, νῖκος appears in a limited number of sources (including the Septuagint at Micah 7:8 and a single NT occurrence at 1 Corinthians 15:54). Its use in Koine Greek tends toward the abstract or poetic. The semantic overlap with νίκη is significant, but νῖκος has a more formal or archaic flavor. In Hellenistic and Roman contexts, both words broadly denote the act or state of prevailing; however, νῖκος is less connected to the personified deity Nike than νίκη. Standard English translations render both as 'victory' or 'triumph,' though νῖκος lacks the concrete or personified associations νίκη sometimes carries. In the Septuagint and New Testament, the word usually refers to the overall state of having triumphed rather than the event or a trophy. There is little evidence the word carried any specific religious or theological nuance in Greek usage beyond its ordinary sense.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from νίκη; a conquest (concretely), i.e. (by implication) triumph:--victory.
Root Family
νικ- (Nikánōr) — to conquer, to be victorious
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3534-01 |
νῖκος | nikos | N ACC N SG |
victory | victory | victory | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3534-01 |
Matthew 12:20 | νῖκος | nikos | N ACC N SG |
victory | victory | victory |
G3534-01 |
1 Corinthians 15:54 | νῖκος | nikos | N ACC N SG |
victory | victory | victory |
G3534-01 |
1 Corinthians 15:55 | νῖκος | nikos | N NOM N SG |
victory | victory | victory |
G3534-01 |
1 Corinthians 15:57 | νῖκος | nikos | N ACC N SG |
victory | victory | victory |