culmination

noun

cul·​mi·​na·​tion ˌkəl-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: the action of culminating

2

: culminating position : climax

the culmination of a brilliant career

the culmination of years of research

Synonyms

• pinnacle
• zenith
• top
• height
• peak
• climax
• apex

Choose the Right Synonym for culmination

summit, peak, pinnacle, climax, apex, acme, culmination mean the highest point attained or attainable.

summit implies the topmost level attainable.

at the summit of the Victorian social scene

peak suggests the highest among other high points.

an artist working at the peak of her powers

pinnacle suggests a dizzying and often insecure height.

the pinnacle of worldly success

climax implies the highest point in an ascending series.

the war was the climax to a series of hostile actions

apex implies the point where all ascending lines converge.

the apex of Dutch culture

acme implies a level of quality representing the perfection of a thing.

a statue that was once deemed the acme of beauty

culmination suggests the outcome of a growth or development representing an attained objective.

the culmination of years of effort

Examples of culmination in a Sentence

This study is the culmination of years of research.

an acting performance that was seen as the culmination of a brilliant career on the stage

Recent Examples on the Web

Think of Obama in 2010 signing the Affordable Care Act, the culmination of decades of efforts to expand health care coverage. —Susan Page, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025

The concert will not only serve to unveil the Latin boy band’s five members but also mark the culmination of their monthslong rigorous journey to become HYBE’s first all-male Latin group. —Griselda Flores, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025

The performance is among Tatum’s finest, the culmination of a career that has quietly built toward this moment. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025

The ruling marks the legal culmination of a prolific feud between Drake and Lamar that spanned much of 2024, when the two rappers dropped a slew of tracks aimed at each other. —Angela Yang, NBC news, 9 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see culminate

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for culmination

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation