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. Culminate was drawn from Medieval Latin culminare, meaning "to crown," specifically for this astronomical application. Its ultimate root is Latin 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

• cap (off)
• climax
• crown

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

Day Two will unfold in a seeded tournament format, culminating in breaking’s first Olympic medals. —Brandon Sneed, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2024

His mother reflected on the gravity of their journey together culminating in this moment. —Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024

All of this momentum culminated in a sense of catharsis as Abdurraqib approached the book’s release date during our conversation in late March. —Hazlitt, 10 Apr. 2024

The 27-year-old rapper achieved all of this in just four years, culminating in the February release of his first solo studio album, ICEBERG. —Danny Hajjar, SPIN, 9 Apr. 2024

The sequence would culminate in the Captain desperately running to board a moving plane, surrounded by people carrying the wounded and the dead. —Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

The new research culminated in a 3D map that measures how the universe has been expanding over the past 11 billion years. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024

The attraction will culminate in a giant Mardi Gras musical celebration. —Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024

The events culminate in America's largest Armed Forces Torchlight Parade in downtown Spokane. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2024

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

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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