sublimate

/ˈsʌblɪmeɪt/

//ˈsʌblɪmeɪt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"sublimate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sublimate” is uncommon English (frequency #95,468 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#95,468
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To heat (a substance) in a container so as to convert it into a gas which then condenses in solid form on cooler parts of the container.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sublimate · sublimate · English

sublimate · rank #95,468 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #95,468
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH superfluid

Nearest frequency peer: superfluid (+5 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “sublimate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “sublimate” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for sublimate
PropertyValue
Headwordsublimate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈsʌblɪmeɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#95,468
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “sublimate” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).sublimatefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “superfluid” (#95,473), “stripey” (#95,462), “supergrass” (#95,474). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sublimate” is #95,468. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

sublimate is uncommon English at frequency #95,468 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈsʌblɪmeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 12 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for sublimate, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English sublymate, from Latin sublīmātus, past participle of sublīmāre (“to raise, elevate”). The correct English form is sublimate, spelled S-U-B-L-I-M-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To heat (a substance) in a container so as to convert it into a gas which then condenses in solid form on cooler parts of the container.
  2. 2
    To heat (a substance) in a container so as to convert it into a gas which then condenses in solid form on cooler parts of the container.
  3. 3
    To refine (something) until it disappears or loses all meaning.
  4. 4
    To modify (the natural expression of a sexual or primitive instinct) in a socially acceptable manner; to divert the energy of (such an instinct) into some acceptable activity.
  5. 5
    To obtain (something) through, or as if through, sublimation.
  6. 6
    To purify or refine (a substance).
  7. 7
    Synonym of sublime.
  8. 8
    Synonym of sublime.
  9. 9
    Of a substance: to change from a solid into a gas without passing through the liquid state, with or without being heated.
  10. 10
    Of a substance: to change from a gas into a solid without passing through the liquid state.
  11. 11
    To modify the natural expression of a sexual or primitive instinct in a socially acceptable manner; to divert the energy of such an instinct into some acceptable activity.
  12. 12
    Synonym of sublime (“to become higher in quality or status; to improve”).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how sublimate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Foreigners extol the American "energy" […] Basically it is the energy of violence, of free-floating resentment and anxiety unleashed by chronic cultural dislocations which must be, for the most part, ferociously sublimated. This energy has mainly been sublimated into crude materialism and acquisitiveness.
  2. When he got home from the parade, however, Professor Solanka was seized by melancholy, his usual secret sadness, which he sublimated into the public sphere. Something was amiss with the world. The optimistic peace-and-love philosophy of his youth having given him up, he no longer knew how to reconcile himself to an increasingly phoney […] reality.

Etymology

From Middle English sublymate, from Latin sublīmātus, past participle of sublīmāre (“to raise, elevate”).

This word in other languages

sublimar(Español)sublimer(Français)sublimieren(Deutsch)sublimar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "sublimate"?
"sublimate" is spelled S-U-B-L-I-M-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌblɪmeɪt/.
What does "sublimate" mean?
As a verb, "sublimate" means: To heat (a substance) in a container so as to convert it into a gas which then condenses in solid form on cooler parts of the container.
How do you pronounce "sublimate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sublimate" is /ˈsʌblɪmeɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "sublimate"?
From Middle English sublymate, from Latin sublīmātus, past participle of sublīmāre (“to raise, elevate”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "sublimate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

tablature#95,484softshell#95,432telemovie#95,504telesales#95,506

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list