Definition of "elevate"

elevate

/ˈɛləveɪt/

verb
third-person singular simple present elevates, present participle elevating, simple past and past participle elevated
1. (transitive) To raise (something) to a higher position.
  Quotations
  The Grace or Blessynge of the table to be sayed of chyldren standynge before it, thyr handes eleuated and ioyned to gyder
  1534, William Marshall, George Joye, A Prymer in Englyshe‎, London: William Marshall
  She had one eye declined for the loss of her husband, another elevated that the oracle was fulfilled: […]
  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, [Act V, scene ii]
  We know that a few strokes of the axe will lop a cedar; but what arts of cultivation can elevate a shrub?
  1750, Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, No. 25, 12 June, 1750, Volume 1, London: J. Payne and J. Bouquet, 1752, p. 216
  Abdulla expressed his surprise by elevating his eyebrows.
  1896, Joseph Conrad, chapter V, in An Outcast of the Islands, London: T. Fisher Unwin […], part II, page 138
2. (transitive) To promote (someone) to a higher rank.
  Quotations
  Hard Fate of Greatness, We so highly ElevatedAre more expos’d to Censure than the little ones,
  1682, Aphra Behn, “The Roundheads or, The Good Old Cause”, in et al.‎, London: D. Brown, act I, scene 1, page 6
  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.
  1791 (date written), Mary Wollstonecraft, chapter 1, in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects, 1st American edition, Boston, Mass.: […] Peter Edes for Thomas and Andrews, […], published 1792
  […] that’s the way things go when you elevate mediocre people to positions of authority.
  1961, Joseph Heller, chapter 29, in Catch-22‎, New York: Dell, page 334
  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.
  2014, A. D. Wright, The Early Modern Papacy
  At that point, you have to elevate the account's rights, activate the feature, and then demote the account again.
  2014, Guy W. Lecky-Thompson, Inside SharePoint 2007 Administration, page 55
3. (transitive) To confer honor or nobility on (someone).
  Quotations
  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;
  1591, Edmund Spenser, “Virgils Gnat” in Complaints, London: William Ponsonbie
4. (transitive) To make (something or someone) more worthy or of greater value.
  Quotations
  […] if you encourage a young Beginner, who knows but he may elevate his stile a little,
  1682, John Dryden, “Epistle to the Whigs”, in The Medal‎, Edinburgh
  He is the true artist, who copies nature; but, where he finds her mean, elevates her from his own ideas of beauty.
  1768, William Gilpin, chapter 1, in An Essay upon Prints‎, London: J. Robson, page 33
  You can’t think how it elevates him in my opinion, to know for certain that he’s really conscientious!
  1849 May – 1850 November, Charles Dickens, The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850
5. (transitive) To direct (the mind, thoughts, etc.) toward more worthy things.
  Quotations
  […] the devout Christian improves the Blessings he receives of this inferiour World, to elevate his mind above it:
  1665, Robert Boyle, Occasional Reflections upon Several Subjects‎, London: Henry Herringman, Section 4, Chapter 4, pp. 73-74
  On the whole I would regard serious art as a means to elevate the emotions and educate the spirit […]
  1999, Ahdaf Soueif, chapter 18, in The Map of Love, New York: Anchor Books, published 2000
6. (transitive) To increase the intensity or degree of (something).
  1. (dated) To increase the loudness of (a sound, especially one's voice).
    Quotations
    […] the Uncle had more than once elevated his Voice, so as to be heard down Stairs;
    1749, Henry Fielding, chapter 10, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], book 14, page 191
    “We’ll see to that,” Wolf Larsen answered, and elevated his voice in a call of “Cooky!”
    1904, Jack London, chapter 3, in The Sea-Wolf (Macmillan’s Standard Library), New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, page 20
7. (transitive, obsolete) To lift the spirits of (someone)
  Quotations
  […] Hope elevates, and joyBright’ns his Crest,
  1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, lines 633-634
  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.
  1759, Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Edinburgh: A. Kincaid and J. Bell, Part 1, Section 2, Chapter 1, p. 20
8. (dated, colloquial, humorous) To intoxicate in a slight degree; to make (someone) tipsy.
  Quotations
  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.
  1755 October 23, George Colman, Bonnell Thornton, The Connoisseur‎, volume 2, number 91, London: R. Baldwin, published 1756, page 557
  [Johnson,] from drinking only water, supposed every body who drank wine to be elevated
  1791, James Boswell, “(please specify the year)”, in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. […], London: […] Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, […]
  […] the elevated Cavaliers […] sent to Roger Raine of the Peveril Arms […] for two tubs of merry stingo
  1822, [Walter Scott], chapter III, in Peveril of the Peak. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., [https:// page 92]
9. (obsolete, Latinism) To attempt to make (something) seem less important, remarkable, etc.
  Quotations
  […] 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 […]
  1660, Jeremy Taylor, Ductor Dubitantium, London: Richard Royston, Volume 1, Chapter 4, Rule 2, p. 126
adjective
comparative more elevate, superlative most elevate
1. (obsolete) Elevated; raised aloft.
  Quotations
  The sayde crosse was .iii. tymes deuoutly eleuate, and at euery exaltacion, ye Moores beyng within the cytie, roared, howled and cryed,
  1548, Edward Hall, The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and Yorke, London: Richard Grafton, Henry VII, year 6
  Others apart sat on a Hill retir’d,In thoughts more elevate,
  1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, lines 567-578

Definition of "elevate"

elevate

verb

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adjective

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