sublimation
3 synonyms and 2 antonyms for sublimation, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The change of a solid directly into a gas without passing through a liquid stage, and sometimes the reverse change from gas straight to solid.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
The change of a solid directly into a gas without passing through a liquid stage, and sometimes the reverse change from gas straight to solid.
“Dry ice does not melt; it disappears by sublimation into carbon dioxide gas.”
Opposites
2. noun
In psychology, the process of redirecting an urge that cannot be acted on directly — often an aggressive or sexual one — into an activity that is socially acceptable or creative.
“He described his boxing as a sublimation of a temper he could not otherwise control.”
How to use sublimation
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Chemistry sense is the everyday one; the psychology sense belongs to Freudian theory and appears mainly in academic writing.
Etymology
From Latin sublimare "to raise up, elevate", from sublimis "lofty, uplifted".
Full origin of sublimation →