# sublimation

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #52,655

## Definitions
1. The transition of a substance from the solid phase directly to the vapor state such that it does not pass through the intermediate liquid phase.
2. The transformation of an impulse into something socially constructive.
3. Elevation; exaltation; a making sublime.

## Etymology
From Middle English sublimacioun, sublimacion, from Medieval Latin sublīmātiō, from Latin sublīmō (“I raise, I elevate”, verb).
Synchronically, sublimate + -ion.

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