CULMINATION Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'culmination' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of culmination are acme , apex , climax , peak , pinnacle , and summit . While all these words mean "the highest point attained or attainable," culmination suggests the outcome of a growth or development representing an attained objective. // the culmination of years of effort

Q: When would 'acme' be a good substitute for 'culmination'?

The synonyms acme and culmination are sometimes interchangeable, but acme implies a level of quality representing the perfection of a thing. // a statue that was once deemed the acme of beauty

Q: Where would 'apex' be a reasonable alternative to 'culmination'?

The meanings of apex and culmination largely overlap; however, apex implies the point where all ascending lines converge. // the apex of Dutch culture

Q: When is it sensible to use 'climax' instead of 'culmination'?

The words climax and culmination are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, climax implies the highest point in an ascending series. // the war was the climax to a series of hostile actions

Q: When could 'peak' be used to replace 'culmination'?

The words peak and culmination can be used in similar contexts, but peak suggests the highest among other high points. // an artist working at the peak of her powers

Q: When might 'pinnacle' be a better fit than 'culmination'?

Although the words pinnacle and culmination have much in common, pinnacle suggests a dizzying and often insecure height. // the pinnacle of worldly success

Q: When can 'summit' be used instead of 'culmination'?

While in some cases nearly identical to culmination , summit implies the topmost level attainable. // at the summit of the Victorian social scene

culmination

noun

ˌkəl-mə-ˈnā-shən

Definition of culmination next

as in pinnacle

the highest part or point an acting performance that was seen as the culmination of a brilliant career on the stage

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun culmination differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of culmination are acme, apex, climax, peak, pinnacle, and summit. While all these words mean "the highest point attained or attainable," culmination suggests the outcome of a growth or development representing an attained objective.

the culmination of years of effort

When would acme be a good substitute for culmination?

The synonyms acme and culmination are sometimes interchangeable, but acme implies a level of quality representing the perfection of a thing.

a statue that was once deemed the acme of beauty

Where would apex be a reasonable alternative to culmination?

The meanings of apex and culmination largely overlap; however, apex implies the point where all ascending lines converge.

the apex of Dutch culture

When is it sensible to use climax instead of culmination?

The words climax and culmination are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, climax implies the highest point in an ascending series.

the war was the climax to a series of hostile actions

When could peak be used to replace culmination?

The words peak and culmination can be used in similar contexts, but peak suggests the highest among other high points.

an artist working at the peak of her powers

When might pinnacle be a better fit than culmination?

Although the words pinnacle and culmination have much in common, pinnacle suggests a dizzying and often insecure height.

the pinnacle of worldly success

When can summit be used instead of culmination?

While in some cases nearly identical to culmination, summit implies the topmost level attainable.

at the summit of the Victorian social scene

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of culmination The law was the culmination of a yearslong saga in Washington over TikTok, which the government sees as a national security threat. —

Mark Sherman The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 18 Jan. 2025 The big picture: Biden's address not only marks the end of his presidency, but the culmination of a decades-long career in public service. —

Ivana Saric, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025 The 2 back-to-back January actions are the culmination of Biden Administration antitrust enforcement efforts to place far greater emphasis on potential harm to labor interests, in addition to the traditional antitrust concern with promoting consumer welfare. —

Alden Abbott, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025 The video was inspired by the Resurrection City encampment that was the culmination of Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1968 Poor People’s Campaign and held on the National Mall that is steps away from the museum. —

Roger Catlin, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for culmination

Recent Examples of Synonyms for culmination

Noun

In some ways, saber teeth represent an evolutionary pinnacle, the optimal design for a canine tooth to puncture prey, says Rayfield.

— Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 21 Jan. 2025
For 2025, the VW Tiguan, which has been the company’s top selling model since it was redesigned in 2018 to align with the Atlas, serves as a pinnacle of all those ideas and then, takes them a step further with true luxury features and an even more elevated, refined style inside and out.

— Scotty Reiss, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025