culminate

verb

cul·​mi·​nate ˈkəl-mə-ˌnāt 

culminated; culminating

intransitive verb

1

of a celestial body : to reach its highest altitude

During the summer solstice, the sun culminates over the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere.

also : to be directly overhead

2

a

: to rise to or form a summit

… enormous waves culminated and fell with the report of thunder.

—Frederick Marryat

b

: to reach the highest or a climactic or decisive point

Her long acting career culminated when she won the Oscar.

transitive verb

: to bring to a head or to the highest point

The contract culminated weeks of negotiations.

Did you know?

When a star or other heavenly body culminates, it reaches its highest point above the horizon from the vantage point of an observer on the ground. Culminate was drawn from Medieval Latin culminare, meaning "to crown," specifically for this astronomical application. Its ultimate root is Latin culmen, meaning "top." Today, the word’s typical context is less lofty: it can mean “to reach a climactic point,” as in “a long career culminating in a prestigious award,” but it can also simply mean "to reach the end of something,” as in “a sentence culminating in a period.”

Synonyms

• cap (off)
• climax
• crown

Examples of culminate in a Sentence

A bitter feud culminated months of tension.

culminated the school year with a trip to New York

Recent Examples on the Web

What's happening: Two days of gridiron good times starting with a fan fest at the Indiana Convention Center, continuing with tailgating on South Street and culminating in the title game inside Lucas Oil Stadium. —Justin L. MacK, Axios, 5 Dec. 2024

The collapse of Celsius was part of a chain reaction—beginning with the fall of Terra Luna and culminating with the collapse of crypto exchange FTX in November 2022—that brought the crypto industry to its knees. —Joel Khalili, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2024

In the months after the 2020 election, Trump and his allies were trying to overturn his loss, a failed effort that culminated in the violent riot by his supporters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 4 Dec. 2024

Edison operated by issuing open challenges, inviting diverse solutions, and culminating in a pitch event, where top ideas were selected for potential sponsorship. —Stephen Wunker, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin culminatus, past participle of culminare, from Late Latin, to crown, from Latin culmin-, culmen top — more at hill

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

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Kids Definition

culminate

verb

cul·​mi·​nate ˈkəl-mə-ˌnāt 

culminated; culminating

: to reach the highest point

culmination

ˌkəl-mə-ˈnā-shən

noun