culminate

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈkʌlməˌneɪt/ UK /ˈkʌlmɪneɪt/ See IPA manual

verb

Meanings

1

verb
to reach the highest or climactic point of something

Years of effort culminated in a single triumphant performance.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to reach the highest or... climax peak crown conclude crest apex

Opposites

begin start

Word family

Derived forms culminationculminating

Related forms culmen

Etymology

From Late Latin culminatus, past participle of culminare ('to come to a peak'), from Latin culmen ('top, summit, peak').

culminare Late Latin culmen Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

# culminate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ˈkʌlməˌneɪt
**IPA (UK):** ˈkʌlmɪneɪt

## Meanings
1. to reach the highest or climactic point of something

## Examples
- Years of effort culminated in a single triumphant performance.

## Synonyms
- climax
- peak
- crown
- conclude
- crest
- apex

## Antonyms
- begin
- start

## Derived Forms
- culmination
- culminating

## Related Forms
- culmen

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: culminare
- Root: culmen

## Etymology
From Late Latin culminatus, past participle of culminare ('to come to a peak'), from Latin culmen ('top, summit, peak').

## AI Etymology
Culminate comes from Late Latin culminatus, past participle of culminare ('to come to a peak'), from Latin culmen ('top, summit, peak'). The etymological trail includes Late Latin culminare and Latin culmen. As a verb, culminate means to reach the highest or climactic point of something. The same family is visible in derived forms such as culmination and culminating and related forms such as culmen.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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culminate

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