culmination

noun

cul·​mi·​na·​tion ˌkəl-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: the action of culminating

2

: culminating position : climax

the culmination of a brilliant career

the culmination of years of research

Synonyms

• acme
• apex
• apogee
• capstone
• climax
• crescendo
• crest
• crown
• head
• height
• high noon
• high-water mark
• meridian
• ne plus ultra
• noon
• noontime
• peak
• pinnacle
• sum
• summit
• tip-top
• top
• zenith

Choose the Right Synonym for culmination

summit, peak, pinnacle, climax, apex, acme, culmination mean the highest point attained or attainable.

summit implies the topmost level attainable.

at the summit of the Victorian social scene

peak suggests the highest among other high points.

an artist working at the peak of her powers

pinnacle suggests a dizzying and often insecure height.

the pinnacle of worldly success

climax implies the highest point in an ascending series.

the war was the climax to a series of hostile actions

apex implies the point where all ascending lines converge.

the apex of Dutch culture

acme implies a level of quality representing the perfection of a thing.

a statue that was once deemed the acme of beauty

culmination suggests the outcome of a growth or development representing an attained objective.

the culmination of years of effort

Examples of culmination in a Sentence

This study is the culmination of years of research.

an acting performance that was seen as the culmination of a brilliant career on the stage

Recent Examples on the Web

The Super Bowl is the culmination of the National Football League season and determines the champions of the sport. —Eduardo Tansley, The Athletic, 8 Feb. 2025

The repatriation of dead Americans is the culmination of a complex and emotional path for those involved. —Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 30 Jan. 2025

And the test also the culmination of years of work for Boom, which began operations in 2014 and, against much industry skepticism, has become the first U.S. independent company to join the supersonic club. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 29 Jan. 2025

The culmination is a biography of Robert’s adult life, starting in the summer of 1917 Idaho and ending in Washington in 1968, the year of Apollo 8 going around the Moon and back. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see culminate

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1