Culminate
/ˈkʌlməˌneɪt/
verbB2
Definition
Culminate means to end or reach the most important or highest point after some time or effort. It is used when something grows or develops and then finishes in a strong or clear way. For example, a project might culminate in a big presentation, or a story might culminate in an exciting ending.
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See It in Action
To reach the highest or most important point
- •The festival will culminate with a grand fireworks display.
- •His career culminated in becoming the company’s CEO.
- •The negotiations culminated in a successful agreement.
To end or finish with a particular event or result
- •The movie’s plot culminates in a surprising twist.
- •Their hard work culminated in winning the championship.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "culminate" like "finish," but it means finishing at the very best or highest point, not just stopping
- ✓Picture climbing a mountain and reaching the top—that moment at the peak is when your climb culminates
- ✓It's the feeling of success or completion after working hard for a long time, like graduation day after years of study
- ✓Sounds like "cool-min-ate" → imagine cooling down at the top of a mountain after a long hot climb
- ✓Think of a fireworks show that culminates in the biggest, brightest explosion at the end
- ✓NOT like "stop" (which can be any ending), "culminate" means a special, important ending point
- ✓NOT like "start" or "begin," "culminate" always means reaching the end or peak
- ✓NOT like "pause," which is temporary; "culminate" means a final or important finish
Try Other Words
- •Peak: the highest point (Use when emphasizing the top or most intense moment)
- •Conclude: to bring to an end (Use when focusing on ending something, often formally)
- •Climax: the most exciting or important part (Use when talking about stories or events reaching their most intense moment)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: from Latin "culmen" meaning "summit" or "top" + suffix "-ate" (to make or become)
- •Etymology: comes from Latin "culminare," meaning to reach the highest point or summit
- •Historical development: first used in English in the 1600s to describe reaching the highest point of a mountain or event
- •Modern usage: used to describe the final or highest point of many things, like events, actions, or processes
Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of a time when your efforts culminated in a success? What was that moment like?
•How is culminating different from just finishing something? Why is it important to know this difference?
Fill in the blanks
1.The concert will culminate ___ a big fireworks show that everyone is waiting for.
2.After many months of training, her performance culminated ___ winning the gold medal.
3.Unlike a simple end, to culminate means to reach the ___ or most important point.
4.The story culminates ___ a surprising event that changes everything.
5.A long meeting often culminates ___ a clear decision or plan.
6.When a project culminates ___ success, it usually means all parts worked well together.
7.The season culminated ___ the team winning the championship after many tough games.