culmination

noun

cul·​mi·​na·​tion ˌkəl-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: the action of culminating

2

: culminating position : climax

the culmination of a brilliant career

the culmination of years of research

Synonyms of culmination

• pinnacle
• zenith
• top
• height
• peak
• climax
• apex

Choose the Right Synonym for culmination

summit, peak, pinnacle, climax, apex, acme, culmination mean the highest point attained or attainable.

summit implies the topmost level attainable.

at the summit of the Victorian social scene

peak suggests the highest among other high points.

an artist working at the peak of her powers

pinnacle suggests a dizzying and often insecure height.

the pinnacle of worldly success

climax implies the highest point in an ascending series.

the war was the climax to a series of hostile actions

apex implies the point where all ascending lines converge.

the apex of Dutch culture

acme implies a level of quality representing the perfection of a thing.

a statue that was once deemed the acme of beauty

culmination suggests the outcome of a growth or development representing an attained objective.

the culmination of years of effort

Examples of culmination in a Sentence

This study is the culmination of years of research.

an acting performance that was seen as the culmination of a brilliant career on the stage

Recent Examples on the Web

The trial, which was scheduled to begin May 18 with jury selection, would have been the culmination of a year-long legal drama that has captured the public’s interest. —Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 4 May 2026

Whatever his role, he too was now ensnared in Israel’s kill chain — the culmination of an intelligence-gathering process that began years ago. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026

The feat was the culmination of a shift—or, perhaps more aptly, a total disruption—in marathoning over the past few years, in which the eventual breaking of the mythical two-hour mark went from an impossibility to a guarantee. —Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 1 May 2026

That’s just part of the darkness of this show, which San Diego State’s School of Theatre, Television, and Film is staging as the culmination of its biennial New Musical Theatre Initiative. —David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

see culminate

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for culmination

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation