sublimate

verb

sub·li·mate | \ ˈsə-blə-ˌmāt

sublimated; sublimating

Definition of sublimate

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : sublime sense 1

b archaic : to improve or refine as if by subliming

2 : to divert the expression of (an instinctual desire or impulse) from its unacceptable form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable

intransitive verb

: to pass directly from the solid to the vapor state : sublime

sublimate

noun

sub·li·mate | \ ˈsə-blə-ˌmāt ,

-mət \

Definition of sublimate (Entry 2 of 2)

: a chemical product obtained by sublimation

Other Words from sublimate sublime vs. sublimate Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about sublimate

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sublime vs. sublimate

At first glance, the question of whether sublime and sublimate are related might seem like an easy one to answer, as they appear to come from the same source. However, the most common senses in which each of these words is used today are dissimilar enough to give pause. The two words are indeed related, and in some senses are in fact synonymous. Both share the meaning “to cause to pass directly from the solid to the vapor state and condense back to solid form,” although this is not widely used except among chemists. Sublime was first used as a verb with the above meaning, and after a century or two of such use took on the adjectival role in which it is often found today (“the concert was a sublime experience”). Sublimate has had several meanings as a verb (including “to elevate to a place of honor” and “to give a more elevated character to”) before coming to its common meaning today, which is “to divert the expression of (an instinctual desire or impulse) from its unacceptable form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable.”

Did You Know?

Verb

To sublimate is to change the form, but not the essence. Physically speaking, it means to transform solid to vapor; psychologically, it means changing the outlet, or means, of expression from something base and inappropriate to something more positive or acceptable. The word sublimate comes from the Latin verb sublimare, which means "to lift up" or "raise" and which is also the ancestor of our sublime. "Sublimate" itself once meant "to elevate to a place of dignity or honor" or "to give a more elevated character to," but these meanings are now obsolete.

Examples of sublimate in a Sentence

Verb

She sublimated her erotic feelings into a series of paintings. I sublimated my grief at the death of my mother by throwing myself into my work.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

For a long time, it was generally supposed that sports rivalries harmlessly sublimated national antagonisms. — Larry Wolff, WSJ, "Croatia Offers Redemption for Eastern Europe," 13 July 2018 Subjected to the low temps and low-pressure atmosphere of the freeze-drier, its water sublimates away, leaving fruit that’s light, bright and intensely flavored. — Leah Eskin, chicagotribune.com, "Re-create Popsicle dreams with fresh strawberries — and powerful boost from freeze-dried version," 11 July 2018 As their highly elliptical trajectories take them near the sun, some of that ice starts to sublimate, forming a trailing cloud of gas and dust that is illuminated by sunlight. — Amina Khan, latimes.com, "'Oumuamua, the mysterious visitor from outside the solar system, is a comet after all," 28 June 2018 So the idea was to have the three or four products that in a flash help sublimate a face with very simple and spontaneous gestures. — Sarah Spellings, The Cut, "L’Oréal Collaborates With Ultimate French Tastemaker," 14 June 2018 Because nitrogen is a volatile chemical, some of it sublimates and gives Pluto a tenuous atmosphere still thick enough to be more than an exosphere. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Here's What We Know About Pluto So Far," 17 July 2015 The model also doesn't take into account non-gravitational forces, such as the push an icy body may get when the sun warms one side, causing its frozen reserves to sublimate. — Amina Khan, latimes.com, "Stolen from another sun: This backward-traveling asteroid could be an interstellar space fossil," 22 May 2018 At the grand hotels, whose convoluted floor plans also house spas, sublimated weight loss strategies are nonexistent, as are the high-tech instruments and the suggestions of pan-Asian wellness (gongs, bamboo) that one sees everywhere in America. — New York Times, "In Search of Lost Time in Europe’s Sanatoriums," 18 Feb. 2018 Regions that start out dark get hot enough to sublimate ice and thus become darker and hotter. — Carolyn Porco, Scientific American, "Cassini at Saturn: A Retrospective," 1 Oct. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The slopes are probably being continuously exposed as the ice sublimates into the Martian atmosphere, likely to cycle up to the poles and end up frozen there. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Large sheets of ice may have been spotted on Mars," 11 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sublimate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

26 Jul 2018

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The first known use of sublimate was in 1559

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More Definitions for sublimate

sublimate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of sublimate

psychology : to express a desire or feeling by changing it into a form that is socially acceptable

See the full definition for sublimate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

sublimate

noun

sub·li·mate | \ ˈsəb-lə-ˌmāt ,

-mət

Medical Definition of sublimate

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : mercuric chloride

2 : a chemical product obtained by sublimation

sublimate

transitive verb

sub·li·mate | \ ˈsəb-lə-ˌmāt

sublimated; sublimating

Medical Definition of sublimate (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : sublime

2 : to divert the expression of (an instinctual desire or impulse) from its unacceptable form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable