Definition
To culminate is to arrive at the summit of a long build-up — the word comes from the Latin culmen, 'peak', and astronomy still uses it for the moment a star reaches its highest point in the sky. A process culminates in its defining final event: years of protest culminate in reform; a career culminates in a masterpiece. The climb gives the word its grammar — things do not simply culminate; they culminate *in* or *with* the point that everything before turns out to have been for.
Examples
- Months of negotiations culminated in a historic trade agreement.
- The festival culminates with a fireworks display over the harbor.
- Decades of patient observation culminated in the discovery of the new planet.
Collocations
culminate in·culminate with·the culmination of·culminate in the creation of
Synonyms
climax·peak·conclude·crest·come to a head
Antonyms
begin·originate·peter out
Word family
culmination (noun)·culminating (adjective)
In TOEFL & IELTS
A narrative signpost in TOEFL history and science passages: when a text says a process 'culminated in' some event, that event is almost certainly the answer to a main-idea or purpose question. In IELTS Speaking Part 2 stories and Task 2 examples, 'which culminated in…' compresses a whole sequence into one elegant clause. Grammar trap: the verb needs its preposition — events culminate *in* or *with* something; they never culminate it.