sublimate: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Academic, Technical, Literary
Quick answer
What does “sublimate” mean?
To divert or transform instinctive impulses, especially sexual or aggressive ones, into culturally higher or socially more acceptable activities.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To divert or transform instinctive impulses, especially sexual or aggressive ones, into culturally higher or socially more acceptable activities.
In chemistry: To cause a substance to transform directly from a solid to a gas, or vice versa, without passing through a liquid phase. To elevate or refine something to a purer or higher state.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
In academic psychology, identical. In chemistry, identical.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American academic texts due to the historical prominence of Freudian psychology in US discourse, but the difference is marginal.
Grammar
How to Use “sublimate” in a Sentence
sublimate sth (into sth)sublimate sth (to sth)be sublimatedVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sublimate” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He learned to sublimate his aggression into vigorous sporting competition.
- Iodine will sublimate if heated under the right conditions.
American English
- She sublimated her grief into volunteer work.
- The dry ice sublimated, filling the box with fog.
adverb
British English
- This concept is only used adverbially in derived forms (e.g., 'subliminally'). 'Sublimate' itself has no standard adverbial form.
American English
- This concept is only used adverbially in derived forms (e.g., 'subliminally'). 'Sublimate' itself has no standard adverbial form.
adjective
British English
- The sublimated iodine collected on the cooler surface. (chemical)
- His was a sublimated lust for power, disguised as altruism. (figurative, rare)
American English
- Sublimated carbon dioxide is used in special effects. (chemical)
- Her criticism was a form of sublimated envy. (figurative, rare)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possibly in leadership/HR contexts: 'She sublimated her competitive drive into building a superior team.'
Academic
Common in psychology, psychoanalysis, and literary theory. 'The author sublimates traumatic experience into narrative.' Also standard in chemistry.
Everyday
Very rare. Would be considered highly formal or technical.
Technical
Core term in chemistry for phase change. Standard term in psychology/psychoanalysis.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sublimate”
- Using it as a simple synonym for 'suppress' or 'repress' (sublimation implies positive redirection, not mere denial).
- Confusing the psychological and chemical senses in context.
- Incorrect stress: stressing the second syllable (/sʌbˈlaɪ.meɪt/).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is equally standard in both fields, but the context makes the meaning clear. In general discourse, the psychological sense is more likely to be encountered.
The process is 'sublimation'. A 'sublimate' can also be the solid product of a chemical sublimation process.
Typically, it has a neutral or positive connotation (transforming something crude into something refined). However, it can be used critically to imply a dishonest or inauthentic redirection of feeling.
No, it is a low-frequency, C2-level word used primarily in academic, technical, and literary contexts. It is not common in everyday conversation.
To divert or transform instinctive impulses, especially sexual or aggressive ones, into culturally higher or socially more acceptable activities.
Sublimate is usually academic, technical, literary in register.
Sublimate: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsʌb.lɪ.meɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsʌb.lə.meɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To sublimate one's passions”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of SUBLIME (excellent, lofty) + -ATE (verb ending). To make something base into something sublime.
Conceptual Metaphor
BASIC IMPULSES ARE SOLID MATTER; CULTURAL EXPRESSION IS A GAS. Refinement is a phase change. Morality is purification.
Practice
Quiz
In a chemistry lab, if you see a solid turning into a gas without melting, you are observing: