ultimate
Americanadjective
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last; furthest or farthest; ending a process or series.
the ultimate point in a journey; the ultimate style in hats.
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maximum; decisive; conclusive.
the ultimate authority; the ultimate weapon.
- Synonyms:
- supreme
-
highest; not subsidiary.
ultimate goal in life.
-
basic; fundamental; representing a limit beyond which further progress, as in investigation or analysis, is impossible.
the ultimate particle; ultimate principles.
-
final; total.
the ultimate consequences; the ultimate cost of a project.
- Antonyms:
- first
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not to be improved upon or surpassed; greatest; unsurpassed.
the ultimate vacation spot; the ultimate stupidity.
noun
-
ultimates
plural
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the final point; final result.
-
a fundamental fact or principle.
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the best, greatest, or most extreme of its kind.
adjective
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conclusive in a series or process; last; final
an ultimate question
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the highest or most significant
the ultimate goal
-
elemental, fundamental, basic, or essential
-
most extreme
genocide is the ultimate abuse of human rights
-
final or total
an ultimate cost of twenty million pounds
noun
Synonym Usage
See last 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of ultimate
First recorded in 1645–55; from Late Latin ultimātus (past participle of ultimāre “to come to an end”), equivalent to Latin ultim(us) “last, most distant” + -ātus past participle suffix; see ultima, -ate 1
Explanation
The last in a series can be described as the ultimate. A cheeky kid, when asked what she wants to be when she grows up, might say, "I want to be an actress, a singer, and a veterinarian, but my ultimate goal is to be President of the United States." A definition for the adjective ultimate is the furthest in space or time or the highest in degree or order. Traveling for business, you are flying first to London, then to Portugal, but your ultimate destination is South Africa. The kids ask you if they can invite friends over to play video games. It's a good idea to reply, "Mom isn't home from work yet and she's ultimate authority on the schedule."
Vocabulary lists containing ultimate
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Starting Your New Life: Inspiring Words from Commencement Speeches
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Wagner knew little about the landmark or why it had been built, but ended up being key to its ultimate journey.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
The visit underscores David’s ultimate solitude—in the end he is alone with his failing mind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Over the years, a slew of A-listers have taken their property portfolios to another level by purchasing entire islands, transforming secluded stretches of land into the ultimate celebrity retreats.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
Among other things, Britain’s invasion brought freedom to thousands of enslaved people, and established Canada as an ultimate stop on the Underground Railroad.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
Nothingness was what the world came from, and to achieve nothingness again became the ultimate goal of mankind.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
In this building," Clark proclaims, "everything emanates and ultimates from me.
From Time Magazine Archive
And the book is, finally, both religious in its treatment of ultimates and morally eloquent in its strong rebuke for those who scorn any culture but their own.
From Time Magazine Archive
There is more in this book about Miss Woolson's literary mannerisms than Lincoln's world-shaking ideas; more about Joaquin Miller's escapades than Melville's struggles with the ultimates of morality.
From Time Magazine Archive
The ultimate of ultimates is mind or spirit—the eternal intelligent spirit of Deity and man.
From The Universe a Vast Electric Organism by George Woodward Warder
Abolition ultimates in "Consent Government;" Consent Government in Anarchy, Free Love, Agrarianism, &c., &c., and "Self-elected despotism," winds up the play.
From Cannibals all! or, Slaves without masters by George Fitzhugh
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
