sublimate

[ verb suhb-luh-meyt; noun, adjective suhb-luh-mit, -meyt ]

/ verb ˈsʌb ləˌmeɪt; noun, adjective ˈsʌb lə mɪt, -ˌmeɪt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for sublimate on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), sub·li·mat·ed, sub·li·mat·ing.

Psychology. to divert the energy of (a sexual or other biological impulse) from its immediate goal to one of a more acceptable social, moral, or aesthetic nature or use.

Chemistry.

to sublime (a solid substance); extract by this process.
to refine or purify (a substance).

to make nobler or purer: To read about great men sublimates ambition.

verb (used without object), sub·li·mat·ed, sub·li·mat·ing.

to become sublimated; undergo sublimation.

noun

Chemistry. the crystals, deposit, or material obtained when a substance is sublimated.

adjective

purified or exalted; sublimated.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of sublimate

1425–75; late Middle English: exalted, sublimated <Latin sublīmātus (past participle of sublīmāre to elevate), equivalent to sublīm(is) sublime + -ātus-ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM sublimate

sub·li·ma·ble

[suhb-luh-muh-buhl], /ˈsʌb lə mə bəl/, adjectivesub·li·ma·ble·ness, nounsub·li·ma·tion, nounde·sub·li·mate, verb (used with object), de·sub·li·mat·ed, de·sub·li·mat·ing.

re·sub·li·mate, verb (used with object), re·sub·li·mat·ed, re·sub·li·mat·ing.su·per·sub·li·mat·ed, adjectiveun·sub·li·mat·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sublimate

sublimate , sublime

Words nearby sublimate

subleukemic leukemia, sub-level, sublicense, sublicensee, sublieutenant, sublimate, sublimation, sublime, Sublime Porte, subliminal, subliminal advertising

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use sublimate in a sentence

In Wignot’s dreamily eloquent film, she presents us with a portrait of a man who seemingly sublimated his entire being into the creation of his art, documenting Ailey’s magnificent career with a wealth of archival footage and interviews.
Dance icon gets luminous treatment in ‘Ailey’ doc|John Paul King|July 28, 2021|Washington Blade
Like a pet particularly prone to shedding, Swift-Tuttle leaves behind tiny bits of itself as it ambles along through the solar system, particularly when it’s near our star, and its solid, icy surface heats up, sublimating into a gas.
The Perseid meteor shower is about to begin—here’s how to catch it|empire|July 13, 2021|Popular-Science
It’s one of only five moons in the solar system known to be geologically active, as evidenced by its active geysers that spew sublimated nitrogen gas.
The best places to find extraterrestrial life in our solar system, ranked|Neel V. Patel|June 16, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Still, dry ice sublimates, or turns directly into carbon dioxide gas.
The ‘last mile’ for COVID-19 vaccines could be the biggest challenge yet|Tina Hesman Saey|December 3, 2020|Science News

I guess I’m thinking that if I’m sublimating, I’m not doing it well enough.
Introducing “No Stupid Questions” (Ep. 422)|Stephen J. Dubner|June 18, 2020|Freakonomics
It dissolves mercury, and with it forms corrosive sublimate.
Heads of Lectures on a Course of Experimental Philosophy: Particularly Including Chemistry|Joseph Priestley
I compounded this philter of corrosive sublimate and herbs that have an effect upon the skin.
Brother Jacques (Novels of Paul de Kock, Volume XVII)|Charles Paul de Kock
Mademoiselle Huet saw that the box contained sublimate of mercury in powder and in paste.
Bentley's Miscellany, Volume II|Various
Corrosive sublimate, saturated aqueous solution, for five minutes.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre
Of these, Lang's corrosive sublimate solution is decidedly the best all-round "fixative."
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre

British Dictionary definitions for sublimate

sublimate

/ (ˈsʌblɪˌmeɪt) /

verb

psychol to direct the energy of (a primitive impulse, esp a sexual one) into activities that are considered to be socially more acceptable

(tr) to make purer; refine

noun

chem the material obtained when a substance is sublimed

adjective

exalted or purified

Derived forms of sublimate

sublimable (ˈsʌbləməbəl), adjective

Word Origin for sublimate

C16: from Latin sublīmāre to elevate, from sublīmis lofty; see sublime

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

Medical definitions for sublimate

sublimate

[ sŭb′lə-māt′ ]

To transform directly from the solid to the gaseous state or from the gaseous to the solid state without becoming a liquid.

To modify the natural expression of an instinctual impulse, especially a sexual one, in a socially acceptable manner.

sublimate

Origin of sublimate

OTHER WORDS FROM sublimate

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sublimate

Words nearby sublimate

learn more about sublimate

Words related to sublimate

How to use sublimate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sublimate

Derived forms of sublimate

Word Origin for sublimate

Medical definitions for sublimate