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 of culmination

• 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

This achievement is the culmination of over 605,000 man-hours of work to remove century-old constraints that no longer matched the competitive realities of modern trade. —Wes Moore, Baltimore Sun, 22 June 2026

For the coach, advancing to the knockout round represents the culmination of more than three decades of work on the sidelines and the support of a group of players who rose to the occasion under the most demanding circumstances. —Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026

October 4 is the culmination of the Magdalena Pilgrimage, which involves hiking to the church of the town’s patron saint, San Francisco Javier, in Sonora. —Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026

The upcoming deployment of the Ocean-3 pilot series represents the culmination of a ten-year development timeline. —Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 19 June 2026

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