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To sublimate is to change the form, but not the essence. Physically speaking, it means to transform solid to vapor; psychologically, it means changing the outlet, or means, of expression from something base and inappropriate to something more positive or acceptable. The word sublimate comes from the Latin verb sublimare, which means "to lift up" or "to raise" and which is also the ancestor of our sublime. Sublimate itself once meant "to elevate to a place of dignity or honor" or "to give a more elevated character to," but these meanings are now obsolete.
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Sublime vs. Sublimate
At first glance, the question of whether sublime and sublimate are related might seem like an easy one to answer, as they appear to come from the same source. However, the most common senses in which each of these words is used today are dissimilar enough to give pause. The two words are indeed related, and in some senses are in fact synonymous. Both share the meaning “to cause to pass directly from the solid to the vapor state and condense back to solid form,” although this is not widely used except among chemists. Sublime was first used as a verb with the above meaning, and after a century or two of such use took on the adjectival role in which it is often found today (“the concert was a sublime experience”). Sublimate has had several meanings as a verb (including “to elevate to a place of honor” and “to give a more elevated character to”) before coming to its common meaning today, which is “to divert the expression of (an instinctual desire or impulse) from its unacceptable form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable.”
Examples of sublimate in a Sentence
Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 29 May 2024
So fire has disappeared in many domestic settings, sublimated into electricity.
—Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Lapid, for his part, has demonstrated an unusual willingness to sublimate his ego to the higher cause of removing Netanyahu from office and admirable skill in patching together this coalition of opposites.
—Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 15 June 2021
Sidekick to: Jack Tripper Three's Company's Jack Tripper (John Ritter) had to sublimate his heterosexuality to keep Mr. Roper happy, but his good buddy Larry (Richard Kline) boasted enough libido for the both of them.
—Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sublimate 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sublimate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sublimate
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“Sublimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sublimate. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
sublimate
1 of 2 noun
-mət
sublimate
2 of 2 transitive verb
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