culminate

verb

cul·​mi·​nate ˈkəl-mə-ˌnāt 

culminated; culminating

intransitive verb

1

of a celestial body : to reach its highest altitude

During the summer solstice, the sun culminates over the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere.

also : to be directly overhead

2

a

: to rise to or form a summit

… enormous waves culminated and fell with the report of thunder.

—Frederick Marryat

b

: to reach the highest or a climactic or decisive point

Her long acting career culminated when she won the Oscar.

transitive verb

: to bring to a head or to the highest point

The contract culminated weeks of negotiations.

Did you know?

When a star or other heavenly body culminates, it reaches its highest point above the horizon from the vantage point of an observer on the ground. The English verb culminate was drawn (via Medieval Latin) from the Late Latin verb culminare, meaning “to crown,” specifically for this astronomical application. Its ultimate root is the Latin noun culmen, meaning “top.” Today, the word’s typical context is less lofty: it can mean “to reach a climactic point,” as in “a long career culminating in a prestigious award,” but it can also simply mean “to reach the end of something,” as in “a sentence culminating in a period.”

Synonyms of culminate

• complete
• finish
• conclude
• crown
• climax

Examples of culminate in a Sentence

A bitter feud culminated months of tension.

culminated the school year with a trip to New York

Recent Examples on the Web

The rituals culminate on the 10th day of the month Muharram, which this year falls on June 26. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026

The event will culminate Saturday with a performance by Common, whose career has been defined by socially conscious lyrics, storytelling and advocacy. — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2026

And one of the more memorable names from that group is Santiago Espinal, whose unexpected rise culminated in an All-Star appearance with Toronto in 2022. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026

This culminated in devastating losses in local council elections in early May, with Reform seeing massive gains. — Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 19 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin culminatus, past participle of culminare, from Late Latin, to crown, from Latin culmin-, culmen top — more at hill

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for culminate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

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Kids Definition

culminate

verb

cul·​mi·​nate ˈkəl-mə-ˌnāt 

culminated; culminating

: to reach the highest point

culmination

ˌkəl-mə-ˈnā-shən

noun