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Sublimation: meaning, definitions and examples

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sublimation

 

[ ˌsʌblɪˈmeɪʃən ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

in psychology

Sublimation is a defense mechanism where socially unacceptable impulses or idealizations are unconsciously transformed into socially acceptable actions or behavior.

Synonyms

conversion, repression, transformation

Examples of usage

  • His sublimation of aggressive tendencies led him to excel in competitive sports.
  • She used sublimation to channel her feelings of anger into creating beautiful artworks.
Context #2 | Noun

in chemistry

Sublimation is the process of a substance changing directly from a solid to a gas without passing through the liquid phase.

Synonyms

evaporation, vaporization, volatilization

Examples of usage

  • The dry ice sublimated when it was exposed to room temperature.
  • Camphor is a common example of a substance that undergoes sublimation.

Translations

Translations of the word "sublimation" in other languages:

🇵🇹 sublimação

🇮🇳 उर्ध्वपातन

🇩🇪 Sublimation

🇮🇩 sublimasi

🇺🇦 сублімація

🇵🇱 sublimacja

🇯🇵 昇華 (しょうか)

🇫🇷 sublimation

🇪🇸 sublimación

🇹🇷 süblimasyon

🇰🇷 승화 (seunghwa)

🇸🇦 تسامي (tasami)

🇨🇿 sublimace

🇸🇰 sublimácia

🇨🇳 升华 (shēnghuá)

🇸🇮 sublimacija

🇮🇸 sublimun

🇰🇿 сублимация

🇬🇪 სუბლიმაცია (sublimacia)

🇦🇿 sublimasiya

🇲🇽 sublimación

Etymology

The term 'sublimation' originated in the field of chemistry in the 16th century from the Latin word 'sublimare', which means 'to lift up'. It was later adopted in psychology by Sigmund Freud to describe the process of redirecting socially unacceptable impulses into constructive activities. Over time, the concept of sublimation has been widely studied and applied in various disciplines.

See also: sublimity.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #19,599, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.