culmination
gb/kˌʌlmənˈeɪʃən/ us/kˌʌlmənˈeɪʃən/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
formal
C1
event
1
most intense or important point
the most important or exciting part of something
Usage pattern:
the culmination of [something]
Common mistake:
Often confused with the verb culminate; culmination is a noun (a thing/point), not an action.
Synonyms
climax (Often suggests strong drama or tension.)
|
peak (Emphasizes the highest point, sometimes without drama.)
Antonyms
anticlimax (A disappointing or weaker-than-expected high point.)
Collocations
the culmination of a series
|the culmination of events
|the culmination of the story
|reach a culmination
|come to a culmination
|a dramatic culmination
|the final culmination
|the perfect culmination
|build to a culmination
|lead to a culmination
Themes
general_academic
|media
|events
Examples
- The final debate was the culmination of months of campaigning.
- In the novel, the storm scene is the culmination of the growing conflict.
- The awards ceremony was the culmination of the festival.
Learner examples
- The last game was the culmination of the season.
- The speech was the culmination of the event.
Noun
formal
C1
abstract
2
final result after long effort
the end point you reach after a long time
Usage pattern:
the culmination of [years/months] of [work/effort/research]
Common mistake:
Learners may use culmination when they only mean a simple ending; it often implies a long build-up or development.
Synonyms
completion (Focuses on finishing, not necessarily a high point.)
|
result (Focuses on the outcome rather than the end stage.)
|
endpoint (More neutral and technical; less sense of achievement.)
Antonyms
beginning (The start rather than the final stage.)
Collocations
the culmination of years of work
|the culmination of months of preparation
|the culmination of a career
|the culmination of a project
|the culmination of research
|the culmination of negotiations
|the culmination of a long process
|the culmination of planning
|the culmination of efforts
|a natural culmination
Themes
general_academic
|work
|education
|business
Examples
- The new drug was the culmination of decades of medical research.
- For her, publishing the book felt like the culmination of a lifelong ambition.
- The merger was the culmination of months of negotiations.
Learner examples
- Graduation is the culmination of my studies.
Noun
technical
C2
event
3
time a star is highest
the time when a star or planet is highest in the sky
Usage pattern:
[object]'s culmination
Common mistake:
Not used for everyday 'sunset/sunrise' timing; it is a technical astronomy term.
Synonyms
transit (Common in astronomy; emphasizes crossing the meridian.)
Collocations
upper culmination
|lower culmination
|meridian culmination
|time of culmination
|at culmination
|the star's culmination
|the Sun's culmination
|calculate culmination
|observe culmination
|culmination time
Themes
science
|astronomy
|technical
Examples
- The planet is easiest to observe near its culmination, when it is highest in the sky.
- According to the chart, the star’s culmination occurs shortly after midnight.
- The telescope was aligned to track the object through culmination.
Grammar
Dictionary form
culmination
IPA
GB/kˌʌlmənˈeɪʃən/
US/kˌʌlmənˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
cul - min - a - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (a)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: culmination
- Plural: culmination, culminations
Word family
Forms
culminations
noun
Core family
culminate
verb B2
Expressions
be the culmination of [something]
1/bˈi ðə kˌʌlmənˈeɪʃən əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
be the final important result
to be the final result after a long time
Examples
- The exhibition is the culmination of three years of collaboration.
- Her promotion was the culmination of steady hard work.
- The final match was the culmination of the tournament.
come to a culmination
1/kˈʌm tə ə kˌʌlmənˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
build up to a final point
to grow and then reach an end point
Examples
- The dispute came to a culmination during the board meeting.
- Years of frustration came to a culmination in a public protest.
- The negotiations came to a culmination with the signing of the agreement.
culmination point
1/kˌʌlmənˈeɪʃən pˈɔɪnt/
fixed phrase
formal
the peak moment
the most important moment
Examples
- The betrayal is the culmination point of the plot.
- The case reached its culmination point when the key witness testified.
- The campaign’s culmination point was the final televised debate.
reach a/the culmination
1/ɹˈit͡ʃ ˈæθ kˌʌlmənˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
arrive at the highest point
to get to the most important part
Examples
- The tension reaches its culmination in the final scene.
- Public anger reached a culmination after the latest report.
- The project reached its culmination with the product launch.