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

The chant was prompted after a fiery Feleipe Franks got his helmet ripped off his head after a play and yet no flag was thrown — the culmination of a first half in which Carolina suffered 10 penalties for 101 yards. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2026

In November, at White Cube Gallery in New York, Salcedo will premiere a sculpture that is the culmination of decades of this collaborative way of working—and huge in a way that could never be accomplished by one person. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 7 Nov. 2026

Indeed, how this film plays with Japan’s atomic grievances, tapping into a generation’s latent rage and the notion that opportunity is just tragedy that has shed its skin, feels like a culmination of 30-plus years of storytelling with the character. — Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2026

In this view, the use of force signifies the abdication of political power rather than its culmination. — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 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