culmination
Americannoun
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the act or fact of culminating.
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that in which anything culminates; the culminating position or stage; highest point; acme.
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Astronomy. the position of a celestial body when it is on the meridian.
noun
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the final, highest, or decisive point
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the act of culminating
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astronomy the highest or lowest altitude attained by a heavenly body as it crosses the meridian
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of culmination
1625–35; < Medieval Latin culminātiōn-, stem of culminātiō; see culminate, -ion
Explanation
The culmination is the end point or final stage of something you've been working toward or something that's been building up. The culmination of your high school career, for example, should be graduation day — and probably not prom night. A culmination isn't just the conclusion. It's the climax of the story, the final crowning achievement, the end result of years of research. “Life is a culmination of the past, an awareness of the present, an indication of a future beyond knowledge, the quality that gives a touch of divinity to matter,” said Charles Lindbergh, the first solo pilot to fly nonstop across the Atlantic — a feat that was surely the culmination of his aviation career.
Vocabulary lists containing culmination
This Week in Words: October 22 - 27, 2017
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"When Do Kids Become Adults?" Vocabulary from the argument
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Obama, on the 50th anniversary of 'Bloody Sunday'
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Richard Nixon left the White House via the South Lawn after announcing his resignation in 1974 in the culmination of the Watergate scandal, boarding a military helicopter and giving his trademark double victory sign.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
It is the culmination of a journey that began in small London clubs decades earlier.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
"This is the culmination of 10 years of systemic failure to develop specialist provision for our most vulnerable children," he says.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
It was the culmination of a well-executed scam — so successful that the San Gabriel Valley pair behind the scheme decided to try it again, authorities said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
Well, if this is the culmination of all failure, then I shall make a glorious success of it.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
