ultimate

American  

[uhl-tuh-mit] / ˈʌl tə mɪt /

adjective

1. last; furthest or farthest; ending a process or series.

   the ultimate point in a journey; the ultimate style in hats.

   Synonyms:

   uttermost, extreme

2. maximum; decisive; conclusive.

   the ultimate authority; the ultimate weapon.

   Synonyms:

   supreme

3. highest; not subsidiary.

   ultimate goal in life.

4. basic; fundamental; representing a limit beyond which further progress, as in investigation or analysis, is impossible.

   the ultimate particle; ultimate principles.

5. final; total.

   the ultimate consequences; the ultimate cost of a project.

   Antonyms:

   first

6. not to be improved upon or surpassed; greatest; unsurpassed.

   the ultimate vacation spot; the ultimate stupidity.

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noun

1. the final point; final result.

2. a fundamental fact or principle.

3. the best, greatest, or most extreme of its kind.

ultimate British  

/ ˈʌltɪmɪt /

adjective

1. conclusive in a series or process; last; final

   an ultimate question

2. the highest or most significant

   the ultimate goal

3. elemental, fundamental, basic, or essential

4. most extreme

   genocide is the ultimate abuse of human rights

5. final or total

   an ultimate cost of twenty million pounds

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noun

1. the most significant, highest, furthest, or greatest thing

Related Words

See last ¹.

Other Word Forms

• subultimate adjective
• ultimately adverb
• ultimateness noun

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; ultima, -ate ¹

Example Sentences

When I think back on it, the mirror was like the ultimate manifestation tool.

From Los Angeles Times

But the ultimate factor is a mind that reconceives something so brilliantly that the result creates a higher level of perception and experience, surprising and inspiring us by its unexpected art.

From The Wall Street Journal

And the ultimate irony is that this spectacle has provided one of Joshua's biggest paydays and, in all likelihood, his largest television audience.

From BBC

And to go hard in criticising his ultimate demise would be ignoring the wider picture of the day.

From BBC

The ultimate big game player, he now has four Ashes hundreds to go with another in the 2023 World Cup final and the World Test Championship final earlier that year.

From BBC

Related Words

• preeminent
• transcendent
• utmost