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

• acme
• apex
• apogee
• capstone
• climax
• crescendo
• crest
• crown
• head
• height
• high noon
• high-water mark
• meridian
• ne plus ultra
• noon
• noontime
• peak
• pinnacle
• sum
• summit
• tip-top
• top
• zenith

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

The 4,000-square-foot unit at 425 Broome Street is the culmination of a series of pop-ups that the brand has opened around the world over the past six years. —Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 8 Apr. 2025

Trump’s tariffs are the culmination of a decades-long shift in political perceptions in the United States, in which trade has gone from an unalloyed good to the source of all ills. —Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025

The order is the culmination of Trump’s longstanding complaints about how U.S. elections are run. —Lindsay Whitehurst, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2025

The decision to have Cena turn heel alongside The Rock was originally slated for the culmination of WrestleMania 41. —Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 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