Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To move (something) to a higher place or position from a lower one; lift. synonym: lift.
  • transitive verb To increase the amount or intensity of.
  • transitive verb To promote to a higher rank.
  • transitive verb To raise to a higher moral, cultural, or intellectual level.
  • transitive verb To lift the spirits of; elate.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To move or cause to move from a lower to a higher level, place, or position; raise; lift; lift up: as, to elevate the host in the service of the mass; to elevate the voice.
  • To raise to a higher state or station; exalt; raise from a low, common, or primary state, as by training or education; raise from or above low conceptions: as, to elevate a man to an office; to elevate the character.
  • To excite; cheer; animate: as, to elevate the spirits.
  • Hence To intoxicate slightly; render somewhat tipsy.
  • To make light or unimportant; diminish the weight or importance of.
  • Synonyms To lift up, uplift.
  • To promote, ennoble.
  • 1-3. Lift, Exalt, etc. See raise.
  • Raised; elevated.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To bring from a lower place to a higher; to lift up; to raise
  • transitive verb To raise to a higher station; to promote.
  • transitive verb To raise from a depressed state; to animate; to cheer.
  • transitive verb To exalt; to ennoble; to dignify.
  • transitive verb To raise to a higher pitch, or to a greater degree of loudness; -- said of sounds.
  • transitive verb Colloq. & Sportive To intoxicate in a slight degree; to render tipsy.
  • transitive verb A Latin meaning, obsolete To lessen; to detract from; to disparage.
  • transitive verb (Gun.) to raise the muzzle; to lower the breech.
  • adjective Poetic Elevated; raised aloft.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To raise (something) to a higher position; to lift.
  • verb transitive To promote (someone) to a higher rank.
  • verb transitive To ennoble or honour/honor (someone).
  • verb transitive To lift someone's spirits; to elate.
  • verb transitive To increase the intensity of something, especially that of sound.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb raise in rank or condition
  • verb raise from a lower to a higher position
  • verb give a promotion to or assign to a higher position

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English elevaten, from Latin ēlevāre, ēlevāt- : ē-, ex-, up; see ex– + levāre, to raise; see legwh- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin elevatus, past participle of elevare ("to raise, lift up"), from e ("out") + levare ("to make light, to lift"), from levis ("light"); see levity and lever.

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