-mət
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To sublimate is to change the form, but not the essence. Physically speaking, a solid is said to sublimate when it transforms into a gas without first becoming liquid—a prime example being frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice) vaporizing at room temperature. To sublimate psychologically is to change the outlet, or means, of one's expression of desires and feelings from something unacceptable to something more culturally or socially acceptable. A person might sublimate feelings of grief following a disaster, for example, by devoting their time and energy to relief efforts. The word sublimate comes from the Latin verb sublimare, meaning "to elevate"; sublimare is also the ancestor of 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.
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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.”
Examples of sublimate in a Sentence
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
Unlike France, where a powerful central state was able to use war and education to sublimate ethnic and linguistic diversity into a common national identity, the weak Spanish state was not easily able to assert legitimacy or ensure cohesion across society.
—Sebastian Balfour, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2017
The earlier film was all about the ways in which love, lust, and intimacy get sublimated into the sport its main characters are obsessed with.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 14 Jan. 2025
Relating to and understanding his players, making judgements and corrections for true cause and effect, and successfully sublimating competitive drive to team development is an incredible thing.
—Cj Moore, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Sublimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sublimate. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
sublimate
1 of 2 noun
-mət
sublimate
2 of 2 transitive verb
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