culminate

UK: /ˈkʌlmɪneɪt/ US: /ˈkʌlməˌneɪt/ ,(kul′mə nāt′)

Inflections of 'culminate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

culminates

v 3rd person singular

culminating

v pres p

culminated

v past

culminated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

cul•mi•nate /ˈkʌlməˌneɪt/   v. [~ + in + object] , -nat•ed, -nat•ing. 

1. to reach the highest development:
   His career culminated in the winning of the Nobel prize.
2. to arrive at a final stage after a long development:
   Their disagreement culminated in a quarrel.

cul•mi•na•tion/ˌkʌlməˈneɪʃən/  ; n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

cul•mi•nate  (kul′mə nāt′), v., -nat•ed, -nat•ing. 
v.i. 

1. to reach the highest point, summit, or highest development (usually fol. by in).
2. to end or arrive at a final stage (usually fol. by in):
   The argument culminated in a fistfight.
3. to rise to or form an apex;
   terminate (usually fol. by in):
   The tower culminates in a tall spire.
4. Astronomy (of a celestial body) to be on the meridian, or reach the highest or the lowest altitude.

v.t. 

5. to bring to a close;
   complete;
   climax:
   A rock song culminates the performance.

• Late Latin culminātus (past participle of culmināre to come to a peak), equivalent. to Latin culmin- (stem of culmen) peak, top + -ātus -ate¹
• 1640–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

culminate / ˈkʌlmɪˌneɪt/ verb

1. when intr, usually followed by in: to end or cause to end, esp to reach or bring to a final or climactic stage
2. (intransitive) (of a celestial body) to cross the meridian of the observer

Etymology: 17th Century: from Late Latin culmināre to reach the highest point, from Latin culmen top