Dictionary Definition
culminate
Verb
1 end, especially to reach a final or climactic
stage; "The meeting culminated in a tearful embrace" [syn: climax]
2 bring to a head or to the highest point;
"Seurat culminated pointillism"
3 reach the highest or most decisive point
4 of a celestial body: reach its highest altitude
or the meridian
5 rise to, or form, a summit; "The helmet
culminated in a crest"
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
Verb
- To reach the highest point; to build up to a climax.
- Their messy breakup culminated in a restraining order.
- New York Times After that, paths diverge. Mr. Bush has been marking the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11 with a series of speeches about terrorism that culminated with his televised address last night.
- Their messy breakup culminated in a restraining order.
- terminate; to end
or finish, especially in a climactic manner
- The class will culminate with a rigorous examination.
- To bring to a conclusion, especially a
decisive one.
- The obstacle course culminates in the vaunted Leap of Death.
Translations
to end or finish
- Finnish: huipentua
to bring to a conclusion
- Finnish: huipentua
Italian
Verb form
culminate- second person plural present tense of culminare
- second person plural imperative of culminare
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
button up, cap, carry to completion, clean up,
climax, close out, close
up, complete, conclude, consummate, crest, crown, develop, do to perfection,
end, finalize, finish, finish off, finish up,
frost, get done, get it
over, get through, get through with, head, ice, improve, mature, mop up, outtop, overarch, overtop, peak, perfect, ripen, round out, surmount, terminate, tip, top, top off, top out, wind up, wrap
up