# culminate

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈkʌl.mɪ.neɪt/ · frequency rank #39,762

## Definitions
1. Of a heavenly body, to be at the highest point, reach its greatest altitude.
2. To reach the (physical or figurative) summit, highest point, peak etc.
3. To reach a climax; to come to a decisive point, especially an end or conclusion.
4. To reach a point at which continued progress is not possible.
5. To finalize, bring to a conclusion, form the climax of.

## Etymology
First attested in 1647; borrowed from Medieval Latin culminātus, perfect passive participle of culminō (“to crown”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from Latin culmen (“peak, the highest point”), older form columen (“top, summit”), from Proto-Italic *kolamen, from a Proto-Indo-European base *kol-, *kelH- (“to project, rise; peak, summit, top”), whence also English hill and holm.

## Easily confused with
- **cultivate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/culminate-vs-cultivate)

## Common misspellings (13)
`cculminate`, `cluminate`, `culimnate`, `cullminate`, `culmiante`, `culminaet`, `culminatte`, `culminnate`, `culmintae`, `culmminate`, `culmniate`, `cumlinate`, `uclminate`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/culminate