Main Entry:

¹cli·max

Pronunciation:

\ˈklī-ˌmaks\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Late Latin, from Greek klimax, literally, ladder, from klinein to lean

Date:

circa 1550

1: a figure of speech in which a series of phrases or sentences is arranged in ascending order of rhetorical forcefulness2 a: the highest point : culmination <the climax of a distinguished career> b: the point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action (as of a play) c: orgasm d: menopause3: a relatively stable ecological stage or community especially of plants that is achieved through successful adaptation to an environment ; especially : the final stage in ecological succession

synonyms see summit

— cli·max·less adjective