Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛləveɪt/Category:English 3-syllable words#ELEVATECategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#ELEVATE

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

  Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#ELEVATE

Verb

elevate (third-person singular simple present elevates, present participle elevating, simple past and past participle elevated)Category:English lemmas#ELEVATECategory:English verbs#ELEVATECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#ELEVATECategory:Pages with entries#ELEVATECategory:Pages with 4 entries#ELEVATE

1. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#ELEVATE) To raise (something) to a higher position.

   Synonyms: lift, raise

   Antonyms: drop, lower

   The doctor told me elevating my legs would help reduce the swelling.Category:English terms with usage examples#ELEVATE

   • 1534, William Marshall, George Joye, A Prymer in Englyshe‎, London: William Marshall:

     The Grace or Blessynge of the table to be sayed of chyldren standynge before it, thyr handes eleuated and ioyned to gyder

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   • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

     She had one eye declined for the loss of her husband, another elevated that the oracle was fulfilled: […]

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   • 1750, Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, No. 25, 12 June, 1750, Volume 1, London: J. Payne and J. Bouquet, 1752, p. 216,

     We know that a few strokes of the axe will lop a cedar; but what arts of cultivation can elevate a shrub?

   • 1896, Joseph Conrad, chapter V, in An Outcast of the Islands, London: T. Fisher Unwin […], →OCLC, part II, page 138:

     Abdulla expressed his surprise by elevating his eyebrows.

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2. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#ELEVATE) To promote (someone) to a higher rank.

   Synonyms: exalt, promote; see also Thesaurus:aggrandize

   Antonyms: demote; see also Thesaurus:demean

   • 1682, Aphra Behn, “The Roundheads or, The Good Old Cause”, in et al.‎, London: D. Brown, act I, scene 1, page 6:

     Hard Fate of Greatness, We so highly Elevated
     Are more expos’d to Censure than the little ones,

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   • 1791 (date written), Mary Wollstonecraft, “The Rights and Involved Duties of Mankind Considered”, in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1792, →OCLC, page 24:

     Nothing can set the regal character in a more contemptible point of view, than the various crimes that have elevated men to the supreme dignity.

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   • 1961, Joseph Heller, chapter 29, in Catch-22‎, New York: Dell, page 334:

     […] that’s the way things go when you elevate mediocre people to positions of authority.

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   • 2014, A. D. Wright, The Early Modern Papacy:

     Much has also been made recently of the distorting effects exerted on the administration of Urban VIII by the interests of the Barberini nephews, especially of the two elevated to cardinal status.

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   • 2014, Guy W. Lecky-Thompson, Inside SharePoint 2007 Administration, page 55:

     At that point, you have to elevate the account's rights, activate the feature, and then demote the account again.

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   1. (computingCategory:en:Computing#ELEVATE) To temporarily grant a program additional security privileges to the system to perform a privileged action (usually on the program's request).

      Did you forget that all programs that modify the registry need to be elevated?Category:English terms with usage examples#ELEVATE

3. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#ELEVATE) To confer honor or nobility on (someone).

   Synonyms: ennoble, exalt, honor; see also Thesaurus:aggrandize

   The traditional worldview elevates man as the pinnacle of creation.Category:English terms with usage examples#ELEVATE

   • 1591, Edmund Spenser, “Virgils Gnat” in Complaints, London: William Ponsonbie,

     That none, whom fortune freely doth aduaunce,

     Himselfe therefore to heauen should eleuate:

     For loftie type of honour through the glaunce

     Of enuies dart, is downe in dust prostrate;

4. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#ELEVATE) To make (something or someone) more worthy or of greater value.

   A talented chef can elevate everyday ingredients into gourmet delights.Category:English terms with usage examples#ELEVATE

   • 1682, John Dryden, “Epistle to the Whigs”, in The Medal‎, Edinburgh:

     […] if you encourage a young Beginner, who knows but he may elevate his stile a little,

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   • 1768, William Gilpin, chapter 1, in An Essay upon Prints‎, London: J. Robson, page 33:

     He is the true artist, who copies nature; but, where he finds her mean, elevates her from his own ideas of beauty.

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   • 1849 May – 1850 November, Charles Dickens, The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC:

     You can’t think how it elevates him in my opinion, to know for certain that he’s really conscientious!

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5. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#ELEVATE) To direct (the mind, thoughts, etc.) toward more worthy things.
   • 1665, Robert Boyle, Occasional Reflections upon Several Subjects‎, London: Henry Herringman, Section 4, Chapter 4, pp. 73-74:

     […] the devout Christian improves the Blessings he receives of this inferiour World, to elevate his mind above it:

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   • 1999, Ahdaf Soueif, chapter 18, in The Map of Love, New York: Anchor Books, published 2000:

     On the whole I would regard serious art as a means to elevate the emotions and educate the spirit […]

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6. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#ELEVATE) To increase the intensity or degree of (something).

   Synonyms: increase, raise; see also Thesaurus:increase

   Antonyms: decrease, diminish, lower, reduce; see also Thesaurus:decrease

   Some drugs have the side effect of elevating your blood sugar level.Category:English terms with usage examples#ELEVATE

   1. (datedCategory:English dated terms#ELEVATE) To increase the loudness of (a sound, especially one's voice).
      • 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter 10, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book XIV, page 191:

        […] the Uncle had more than once elevated his Voice, so as to be heard down Stairs;

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      • 1904, Jack London, chapter 3, in The Sea-Wolf (Macmillan’s Standard Library), New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, →OCLC, page 20:

        “We’ll see to that,” Wolf Larsen answered, and elevated his voice in a call of “Cooky!”

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7. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#ELEVATE, obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#ELEVATE) To lift the spirits of (someone)

   Synonyms: cheer up, elate; see also Thesaurus:gladden

   Antonyms: depress, sadden; see also Thesaurus:sadden

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 633-634:

     […] Hope elevates, and joy
     Bright’ns his Crest,

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   • 1759, Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Edinburgh: A. Kincaid and J. Bell, Part 1, Section 2, Chapter 1, p. 20,

     It gives us the spleen […] to see another too happy or too much elevated, as we call it, with any little piece of good fortune.

8. (datedCategory:English dated terms#ELEVATE, colloquialCategory:English colloquialisms#ELEVATE, humorousCategory:English humorous terms#ELEVATE) To intoxicate in a slight degree; to make (someone) tipsy.
   • 1755 October 23, George Colman, Bonnell Thornton, The Connoisseur‎, volume 2, number 91, London: R. Baldwin, published 1756, page 557:

     Steele entertained them till he was tipsy; when the same wine that stupified him, only served to elevate Addison, who took up the ball just as Steele dropt it, and kept it up for the rest of the evening.

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   • 1791, James Boswell, “(please specify the year)”, in James Boswell, editor, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. […], London: […] Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, […], →OCLC:

     [Johnson,] from drinking only water, supposed every body who drank wine to be elevated

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   • 1822, [Walter Scott], chapter III, in Peveril of the Peak. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 92:

     […] the elevated Cavaliers […] sent to Roger Raine of the Peveril Arms […] for two tubs of merry stingo

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9. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#ELEVATE, Latinism) To attempt to make (something) seem less important, remarkable, etc.

   Synonyms: lessen, detract, disparage; see also Thesaurus:debase, Thesaurus:demean

   • 1660, Jeremy Taylor, Ductor Dubitantium, London: Richard Royston, Volume 1, Chapter 4, Rule 2, p. 126,

     […] the Arabian Physicians […] endevour to elevate and lessen the thing [i.e. belief in the virgin birth of Jesus], by saying, It is not wholly beyond the force of nature, that a Virgin should conceive […]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛləvət/Category:English 3-syllable words#ELEVATECategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#ELEVATE

Adjective

elevate (comparative more elevate, superlative most elevate)Category:English lemmas#ELEVATECategory:English adjectives#ELEVATECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#ELEVATECategory:Pages with entries#ELEVATECategory:Pages with 4 entries#ELEVATE

1. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#ELEVATE) Elevated, raised aloft.
   • 1548, Edward Hall, The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and Yorke, London: Richard Grafton, Henry VII, year 6,

     The sayde crosse was .iii. tymes deuoutly eleuate, and at euery exaltacion, ye Moores beyng within the cytie, roared, howled and cryed,

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 567-578:

     Others apart sat on a Hill retir’d,
     In thoughts more elevate,

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Further reading

• “elevate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “elevate”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Verb

elevateCategory:Italian non-lemma forms#ELEVATECategory:Italian verb forms#ELEVATECategory:Italian entries with incorrect language header#ELEVATECategory:Pages with entries#ELEVATECategory:Pages with 4 entries#ELEVATE

1. inflection of elevare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Participle

elevate f plCategory:Italian non-lemma forms#ELEVATECategory:Italian past participle forms#ELEVATECategory:Italian entries with incorrect language header#ELEVATECategory:Pages with entries#ELEVATECategory:Pages with 4 entries#ELEVATE

1. feminine plural of elevato