exaltation

American  

[eg-zawl-tey-shuhn, ek-sawl-] / ˌɛg zɔlˈteɪ ʃən, ˌɛk sɔl- /

noun

1. the act of exalting.

2. the state of being exalted.

3. elation of mind or feeling, sometimes abnormal or morbid in character; rapture: euphoric exaltation.

   mystical exaltation;

   euphoric exaltation.

   Synonyms:

   euphoria, transport, exultation

4. Chiefly British. a flight of larks.

5. Astrology. the sign of the zodiac in which the most positive influence of a planet is expressed (opposed to fall).

6. Chemistry. (formerly) the process of subliming.

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exaltation British  

/ ˌɛɡzɔːlˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of exalting or state of being exalted

2. a feeling of intense well-being or exhilaration; elation; rapture

3. a flock of larks

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Related Words

See ecstasy.

Other Word Forms

• hyperexaltation noun
• self-exaltation noun
• superexaltation noun

Etymology

Origin of exaltation

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English exaltacioun, from Latin exaltātiōn- (stem of exaltātiō ). See exalt, -ation

Explanation

If the Prize Patrol showed up at your door with a check for a million dollars, you'd probably be overcome with a feeling of exaltation or overwhelming happiness. Chances are slim, so don't bank on it. Exaltation comes from the Latin exaltare meaning to "raise aloft." When you're in a state of exaltation, your emotions are raised aloft and you're swept away in happiness. Exaltation is also the term for praising someone really highly or raising someone in rank, and for a group of larks, and in astrology, the place in a planet's orbit of maximum influence. Fly an exaltation of larks above the ceremony of your exaltation to Minister of Vocabulary.

Example Sentences

These dangers are particularly obvious to academics and other intellectual elites: They include fascism, nativism, anti-intellectualism, persecution of unpopular minorities, exaltation of the mediocre, and romantic exaggeration of the wisdom and virtue of the masses.

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2025

But Timur’s live performance added another otherworldly level of exaltation for which neither film nor deafening amplification can enhance.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2024

The true legacy of Annie is this exaltation of perseverance in the face of being persistently wronged, putting the responsibility for repairing harm in the hands of the vulnerable.

From Slate • Aug. 17, 2024

Larsen said she wished more shows and movies would “show the physical exaltation that comes from having that kind of mastery, that ability to use your body like a fine-tuned instrument.”

From New York Times • Apr. 22, 2024

When the alpine sun filled Awkaypata, with its boldly delineated horizontal plain of white sand and sloping sheets of gold, the space became an amphitheater for the exaltation of fight.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• rapture