ultimatum

American  

[uhl-tuh-may-tuhm, -mah-] / ˌʌl təˈmeɪ təm, -ˈmɑ- /

noun

• ultimatums,
  plural
• ultimata
  plural

1. a final, uncompromising demand or set of terms issued by a party to a dispute, the rejection of which may lead to a severance of relations or to the use of force.

2. a final proposal or statement of conditions.

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ultimatum British  

/ ˌʌltɪˈmeɪtəm /

noun

1. a final communication by a party, esp a government, setting forth conditions on which it insists, as during negotiations on some topic

2. any final or peremptory demand, offer, or proposal

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ultimatum Cultural  

1. A formal message delivered from one government to another threatening war if the receiving government fails to comply with conditions set forth in the message. For example, after the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand in 1914, the government of Austria sent an ultimatum to Serbia, which Austria held responsible for the assassination.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ultimata
  plural
• ultimatums
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ultimatum

First recorded in 1725–35; from New Latin, noun use of neuter of Late Latin ultimātus “ended, finished,” past participle of ultimāre “to come to an end”; see ultimate

Explanation

An ultimatum is a final demand attached to a threat, like "If you don't do it, I'll never speak to you again." Ultimatums are serious business. The noun ultimatum has Latin roots meaning "final" and that's still what the word means today. It is the final demand, usually with an implicit or explicit "or else" attached to it. Often, the person on the receiving end of the ultimatum rebels, however, and will say something like, "Don't give me any ultimatums!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ultimatum ultimata ultimatums

Sheeran, 35, confirmed he had received an ultimatum from venue owners, but said he wasn’t the one who decided to pull Macklemore.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

But in early 2018, ahead of a planned tour, Buckingham was fired from Fleetwood Mac after Nicks allegedly issued the band an ultimatum threatening to leave if he wasn’t cut.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

But he did have 10,000 books in a 600-square-foot studio; the letter stated that this was a fire hazard and delivered an ultimatum: Lose the books or risk eviction.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

Doctors at the centre said if the authorities did not heed their "48-hour ultimatum for salaries and bonuses" to be paid, they would launch a "full-scale strike" with no minimum service provided.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

The Austrian ultimatum was delivered to the Serb capital, Belgrade, on July 23, 1914.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

They also started wider European hostilities by sending ultimata to Russia and France, and by declaring war when those ultimata were rejected - indeed fabricating a pretext that French aircraft had bombed Nuremberg.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2014

Cried Wagner later, still angry over the deadline demand: "They don't give me ultimata!"

From Time Magazine Archive

The ultimata were immediately communicated to Premier Michalakopoulos and, after a Cabinet Council, the Government presented its collective resignation to the Provisional President.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Allies were not in a position—this need be no secret now—to send adequate forces to enforce their ultimata.

From Herbert Hoover The Man and His Work by Vernon L. (Vernon Lyman) Kellogg

They sent out occasional ultimata ordering the cessation of fighting, the retirement from a far advanced frontier, and what not else.

From Herbert Hoover The Man and His Work by Vernon L. (Vernon Lyman) Kellogg

“We don’t believe in deadlines or ultimatums to secure Iran’s national interests.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

But Baqaei said Tehran "never accepts ultimatums" and that he could not confirm any such message was received.

From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026

The McKinsey and EY studies highlight that open communication and collaboration unlock AI’s potential far more effectively than ultimatums.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 18, 2025

In the latest India-Pakistan stand-off, there were no ultimatums, no red buttons.

From BBC ● May 13, 2025

The windows of our home rattled with the thunder of ultimatums.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• warning