When anything solid turns into a gas without first becoming liquid, that’s sublimation. When the surface layer of snow or ice turns into fog or steam without melting, this is an examples of sublimation.
The verb sublimation is from the Latin word sublimare, meaning “raised to a higher status.” In the field of mental health, sublimation helps people have urges that, if acted on, are self-destructive or dangerous to others. They are taught how to direct that energy into something productive like creating art, exercising, or otherwise finding an outlet to take the person's mind off the problematic thoughts.
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(chemistry) a change directly from the solid to the gaseous state without becoming liquid
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(psychology) modifying the natural expression of an impulse or instinct (especially a sexual one) to one that is socially acceptable
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