Dictionary.com

acuminate

[ adjective uh-kyoo-muh-nit, -neyt; verb uh-kyoo-muh-neyt ]
/ adjective əˈkyu mə nɪt, -ˌneɪt; verb əˈkyu məˌneɪt /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: acuminate / acumination on Thesaurus.com

adjective
Botany, Zoology. pointed; tapering to a point.
verb (used with object), a·cu·mi·nat·ed, a·cu·mi·nat·ing.
to make sharp or keen.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of acuminate

1595–1605; <Latin acūminātus (past participle of acūmināre), equivalent to acūmin- (stem of acūmen) acumen + -ātus-ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM acuminate

a·cu·mi·na·tion, nounsub·a·cu·mi·nate, adjectivesub·a·cu·mi·na·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use acuminate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for acuminate

acuminate

adjective (əˈkjuːmɪnɪt, -ˌneɪt)
narrowing to a sharp point, as some types of leaf
verb (əˈkjuːmɪˌneɪt)
(tr) to make pointed or sharp

Derived forms of acuminate

acumination, noun

Word Origin for acuminate

C17: from Latin acūmināre to sharpen; see acumen
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK