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

San Dieguito’s Director of Teaching Learning and Education Brieahna Weatherford said getting to this point has been incredibly challenging, the culmination of two years of work. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026

The wife of Patriots owner Robert Kraft launched the Pawtriots on the first day of training camp last July, in partnership with local animal shelters across New England, a culmination of years in the making. —Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026

Opening the doors at Bangalur Ootery, a new South Indian restaurant in Foster City, is the culmination of over a decade of entrepreneurship and nearly a lifetime of cooking for chef and owner Pallavi Ramamurthy. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026

This isn’t a sudden pivot, though; the NexPhone is the culmination of a pursuit that started more than a decade ago. —New Atlas, 23 Jan. 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