Lifting something up physically, or raising something to a higher level in terms of importance, quality, or social status.
From Latin 'elevare' combining 'e-' (out/up) and 'levare' (to lift, from 'levis' meaning light). The metaphorical sense of improving or ennobling developed in English by the 1600s.
The word 'elevate' literally means to make light enough to lift (because 'lev-' means light), so when we say conversation is 'elevating,' we're technically saying it makes heavy subjects feel lighter and easier to grasp.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.