sublimate

1 of 2

verb

sub·li·mate ˈsə-blə-ˌmāt

sublimated; sublimating

transitive verb

: sublime sense 1

archaic : to improve or refine as if by subliming

: 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

sublimation

ˌsə-blə-ˈmā-shən

noun

sublimate

2 of 2

noun

sub·li·mate ˈsə-blə-ˌmāt

-mət

: a chemical product obtained by sublimation

Did you know?

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 "to 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.

Did you know?

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.”

Example Sentences

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

To sublimate this film of words, the director put huge care in the images and music. —

Trinidad Barleycorn, Variety, 28 Apr. 2023 But previous work has shown that sublimating water ice alone couldn’t provide enough push to explain ’Oumuamua’s anomalous acceleration, so the authors of the new paper add an additional step. —

Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Mar. 2023 Take aloe, a botanical well-known for its ability to soothe skin: Instead of heating the plant's juice to steam off the water and concentrate the extract, manufacturers freeze the ingredient in a vacuum, causing water to sublimate (vaporize without going through the liquid phase). —

Jennifer G. Sullivan, Allure, 31 July 2022 Lindsay had to sublimate her feelings and subjugate herself to multiple bizarrely racist statements from Harrison, just so viewers could understand what the leader of Bachelor Nation really thinks about race relations on the show and in society at large. —

Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, 12 Feb. 2021 As more carbon dioxide adds to the atmosphere, the atmosphere will trap more heat, which will sublimate more carbon dioxide, which will trap more heat, and so on. —

Corey S. Powell, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2018 But in the vulnerable hierarchy of the service industry, only some are allowed to wallow and indulge; others must sublimate. —

Ligaya Mishan Kyoko Hamada Victoria Petro-conroy, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2023 Until now, workplaces have relied on individuals to sublimate tribal interests to achieve individual and group goals at work. —

Nate Bennett, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023 Compounds sublimate in different regions of space depending on their distance from the sun, which affects temperature. —

Theo Nicitopoulos, Discover Magazine, 21 Jan. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sublimate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Medieval Latin sublimatus, past participle of sublimare

First Known Use

Verb

1559, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

circa 1626, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of sublimate was in 1559

See more words from the same year

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Sublimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sublimate. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

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Kids Definition

sublimate

verb

sub·li·mate

ˈsəb-lə-ˌmāt

sublimated; sublimating

: sublime entry 1

: to direct the expression of (a desire or emotion) from an unacceptable form to one that is considered proper by one's culture or society

sublimation

ˌsəb-lə-ˈmā-shən

noun

Medical Definition

sublimate

1 of 2 noun

sub·li·mate ˈsəb-lə-ˌmāt

-mət

: mercuric chloride

: a chemical product obtained by sublimation

sublimate

2 of 2 transitive verb

sub·li·mate ˈsəb-lə-ˌmāt

sublimated; sublimating

: sublime

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