sublimate

1 of 2

verb

sub·​li·​mate ˈsə-blə-ˌmāt 

sublimated; sublimating

transitive verb

1

a

: sublime sense 1

b

archaic : to improve or refine as if by subliming

2

: to divert the expression of (an instinctual desire or impulse) from its unacceptable form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable

intransitive verb

: to pass directly from the solid to the vapor state : sublime

sublimation

ˌsə-blə-ˈmā-shən 

noun

sublimate

2 of 2

noun

sub·​li·​mate ˈsə-blə-ˌmāt  -mət 

: a chemical product obtained by sublimation

Did you know?

To sublimate is to change the form, but not the essence. Physically speaking, it means to transform solid to vapor; psychologically, it means changing the outlet, or means, of expression from something base and inappropriate to something more positive or acceptable. The word sublimate comes from the Latin verb sublimare, which means "to lift up" or "to raise" and which is also the ancestor of our 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.

Did you know?

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

Verb

She sublimated her erotic feelings into a series of paintings.

I sublimated my grief at the death of my mother by throwing myself into my work.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

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, 3 Sep. 2024

Her name quickly became a shorthand for a cultural sensibility—the way young people in the late 2010s sublimated their deep uncertainty into a performance of anti-capitalism and avoidant attachment. —Kate Dwyer, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024

Churchill, who viewed U.S. support as critical for his country’s survival, seemed to grasp that sublimating his strong personality to accommodate Roosevelt could sometimes help. —Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 July 2024

The image shows an area of sand dunes on Mars in the springtime, when carbon dioxide frost is sublimating into the air. —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 29 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Medieval Latin sublimatus, past participle of sublimare

First Known Use

Verb

1559, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

circa 1626, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing sublimate

• corrosive sublimate

Kids Definition

sublimate

verb

sub·​li·​mate

ˈsəb-lə-ˌmāt

sublimated; sublimating

1

: sublime entry 1

2

: to direct the expression of (a desire or emotion) from an unacceptable form to one that is considered proper by one's culture or society

sublimation

ˌsəb-lə-ˈmā-shən

noun

Medical Definition

sublimate

1 of 2 noun

sub·​li·​mate ˈsəb-lə-ˌmāt  -mət 

1

: mercuric chloride

2

: a chemical product obtained by sublimation

sublimate

2 of 2 transitive verb

sub·​li·​mate ˈsəb-lə-ˌmāt 

sublimated; sublimating

1

: sublime

2

: to divert the expression of (an instinctual desire or impulse) from its unacceptable form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable