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

Their presence is the culmination of a decade-long project under Schmetzer, the latest big game for a club well-accustomed to the spotlight. —Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 8 June 2025

But the opening is the culmination of many more years, stretching back to Shi’s start in the hospitality space. —Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 5 June 2025

But such apps would also represent the culmination of the tech industry’s aim to entrench its products in people’s daily lives. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 3 June 2025

The bill’s final passage is the culmination of a legislative session in which leaders of the Education Committee pledged, from the outset, to bolster special education funding and services in the coming biennium. —Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 3 June 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