- the final, highest, or decisive point
- the act of culminating
- the highest or lowest altitude attained by a heavenly body as it crosses the meridian
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
cul•mi•na•tion
(kul′mə nā′shən),USA pronunciation n.
- the act or fact of culminating.
- that in which anything culminates;
the culminating position or stage;
highest point;
acme. - Astronomythe position of a celestial body when it is on the meridian.
- Medieval Latin culminātiōn-, stem of culminātiō; see culminate, -ion
- 1625–35
- 2. climax, zenith, peak, summit.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
culmination /ˌkʌlmɪˈneɪʃən/ n
cul•mi•nate /ˈkʌlməˌneɪt/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + in + object], -nat•ed, -nat•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to reach the highest development:His career culminated in the winning of the Nobel prize.
- to arrive at a final stage after a long development:Their disagreement culminated in a quarrel.
cul•mi•nate
(kul′mə nāt′),USA pronunciation v., -nat•ed, -nat•ing.
v.i.
v.t.
v.i.
- to reach the highest point, summit, or highest development (usually fol. by in).
- to end or arrive at a final stage (usually fol. by in):The argument culminated in a fistfight.
- to rise to or form an apex;
terminate (usually fol. by in):The tower culminates in a tall spire. - Astronomy(of a celestial body) to be on the meridian, or reach the highest or the lowest altitude.
v.t.
- to bring to a close;
complete;
climax:A rock song culminates the performance.
- Late Latin culminātus (past participle of culmināre to come to a peak), equivalent. to Latin culmin- (stem of culmen) peak, top + -ātus -ate1
- 1640–50
'culmination' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):