ultimately
Britishadverb
Explanation
Ultimately means "at the very end of the process." Your strategy of robbing banks with a water gun worked a few times, but ultimately it was unsuccessful. Use ultimately when you want to stress that there are many different elements of something, but in the end there's one clear conclusion. The city parks department might listen to everyone's ideas for what to do with that empty lot, but ultimately they'll do whatever they think will serve the city best. Ultimately comes from the Latin ultimāre, meaning, lying at the very end.
Vocabulary lists containing ultimately
Tuesdays with Morrie
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Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
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Obama, on the 50th anniversary of 'Bloody Sunday'
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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.
These are ongoing annual fees ultimately paid by the investor, as long as the investment is held, on top of the fees the fund charges.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
These changes helped them save thousands of dollars in credit-card interest over several years — and they ultimately paid off the personal loan early.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026
Though Mercury ultimately paid a record $41 million penalty, the case was tied up in courts for 15 years following multiple appeals by the insurer.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2025
Cohen ultimately paid Daniels and her attorney $130,000 from a home equity line of credit he had taken out.
From Salon • May 13, 2024
The owner of the property at the time of assessment pays the tax to the government, but a part or all of the tax is ultimately paid by the consumer of the goods.
From Elements of Civil Government by Peterman, Alexander L.
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.
