culminates

Culminates is the third-person singular present tense of the verb culminate. It means to reach a highest point, a climax, or a final result after a course of development. It is used to describe processes, projects, or events that unfold toward a notable conclusion.

Culminate comes from Latin culminare, from culmen “top, summit,” via Old French culminer. The noun form culminations or culmination shares the same root and refers to the final point or apex reached after a progression.

Usage examples are common in formal and narrative writing. For example: “The negotiations culminate in a peace agreement.” or “The project culminates in a public release.” More broadly, “The season culminates with a championship game.” The phrasing often uses culminates in or culminates with to indicate the final result or event.

In astronomy, a related term is culmination (without the s), which refers to the moment when a celestial object crosses the observer’s local meridian and reaches its highest point in the sky. The verb culminate is not typically used to describe this exact moment, but the idea of reaching a peak or final point is closely connected.

Related terms include apex, peak, climax, and zenith. Typical collocations include culminate in and culminate with, which express the idea of a development leading to a decisive end.