exaltation
Americannoun
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the act of exalting.
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the state of being exalted.
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elation of mind or feeling, sometimes abnormal or morbid in character; rapture: euphoric exaltation.
mystical exaltation;
euphoric exaltation.
- Synonyms:
- euphoria, transport, exultation
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Chiefly British. a flight of larks.
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Astrology. the sign of the zodiac in which the most positive influence of a planet is expressed (opposed to fall).
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Chemistry. (formerly) the process of subliming.
noun
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the act of exalting or state of being exalted
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a feeling of intense well-being or exhilaration; elation; rapture
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a flock of larks
Related Words
See ecstasy.
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing exaltation
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Grade 10, List 3
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 1
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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.
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
Yet the collective spirit of the event — an exaltation of the feminine in its many expressions — felt authentic to Uchis’ work as an artist.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025
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
But there was nothing robotic about the onstage revelry that spilled into the crowd and continued with “Alien Superstar” — an exaltation of individuality with nods to ball culture that had Beyoncé oozing extraterrestrial swag.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 15, 2023
And now I was seized with a fierce sense of exaltation.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
