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

Synonym Usage

See last ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ultimateness
  noun
• subultimate
  adjective
• ultimately
  adverb

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."

Example Sentences

After worrying that Homelander’s delusions of becoming a religious figurehead were too far-fetched, Kripke came to see that storyline “as a metaphor for the ultimate level of narcissism.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

Then in March 2026, Artan received the ultimate accolade which should have been the pinnacle of his career.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

Crypto gets light-touch regulation, even though it’s the ultimate gambling market.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

The June 14th event should be ultimate safe territory for the Republican, who will celebrate his 80th birthday that day.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

And the ultimate source of these rights did not lie in any indigenously American origins, but rather in a transcendent realm of natural rights allegedly shared by all men everywhere.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• preeminent
• transcendent
• utmost