Sublimation

noun

noun ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 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. countable, uncountable

    "It uses dry ice pellets (capsules of frozen carbon dioxide), blown at supersonic speed onto the railhead through a small nozzle. Any leaf contamination on the line is frozen, becoming brittle. The pellets then change instantly from solid to gas without going through a liquid stage (a process known as sublimation)."

  2. 2
    (psychology) modifying the natural expression of an impulse or instinct (especially a sexual one) to one that is socially acceptable wordnet
  3. 3
    The transformation of an impulse into something socially constructive. countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    (chemistry) a change directly from the solid to the gaseous state without becoming liquid wordnet
  5. 5
    Elevation; exaltation; a making sublime. countable, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms
aerationaerificationalienationaprimorationatomizationautism

Example

More examples

"The process by which substances are turned directly from a solid state into a gas is called sublimation."

Etymology

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

Related phrases

sublimation energysolid phase

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.