ultimate
Americanadjective
-
last; furthest or farthest; ending a process or series.
the ultimate point in a journey; the ultimate style in hats.
-
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
-
not to be improved upon or surpassed; greatest; unsurpassed.
the ultimate vacation spot; the ultimate stupidity.
noun
-
the final point; final result.
-
a fundamental fact or principle.
-
the best, greatest, or most extreme of its kind.
adjective
-
conclusive in a series or process; last; final
an ultimate question
-
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
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.
In the UK, Game Pass Ultimate has dropped from £22.99 to £16.99 a month and PC Game Pass from £13.49 to £10.99 a month, with prices varying in other territories.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
He was seen later in Miami at an Ultimate Fighting Championship cage match with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
On Saturday night, while the talks were still going on, Trump was attending an Ultimate Fighting Championship match in Florida with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026
The MLB is only the latest sports league to partner with a prediction market, following the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, and Ultimate Fighting Championship.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
“It's Ultimate Saturday to kick off summer vacay,” Gracie says, grinning.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
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.
