exaltation

[eg-zawl-tey-shuhn, ek-sawl-]

noun

1. the act of exalting.

2. the state of being exalted.

3. elation of mind or feeling, sometimes abnormal or morbid in character; rapture: euphoric exaltation.

   mystical exaltation;

   euphoric exaltation.

   Synonyms: euphoria, transport, exultation

4. Chiefly British.,  a flight of larks.

5. Astrology.,  the sign of the zodiac in which the most positive influence of a planet is expressed (fall ).

6. Chemistry.,  (formerly) the process of subliming.

exaltation

/ ˌɛɡzɔːlˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of exalting or state of being exalted

2. a feeling of intense well-being or exhilaration; elation; rapture

3. a flock of larks

Other Word Forms

• hyperexaltation noun
• self-exaltation noun
• superexaltation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of exaltation¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English exaltacioun, from Latin exaltātiōn- (stem of exaltātiō ). See exalt, -ation

Synonym Study

See ecstasy.

Example Sentences

These dangers are particularly obvious to academics and other intellectual elites: They include fascism, nativism, anti-intellectualism, persecution of unpopular minorities, exaltation of the mediocre, and romantic exaggeration of the wisdom and virtue of the masses.

From Salon

“It was a feeling of exaltation. Artistic beauty. It was everything.”

From Los Angeles Times

Yet the collective spirit of the event — an exaltation of the feminine in its many expressions — felt authentic to Uchis’ work as an artist.

From Los Angeles Times

Philosophical concepts used to address these topics have been implicitly determined by the colonizer through the exaltation of certain thinkers and the obscuring of others.

From Los Angeles Times

But Timur’s live performance added another otherworldly level of exaltation for which neither film nor deafening amplification can enhance.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• rapture