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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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sublimate

sublimate , sublime
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sublimate in a sentence

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
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