Jump To:

• ultra
  ultra

  adjective

  going beyond what is usual or ordinary; excessive; extreme.
• ultra-
  ultra-

  a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, with the basic meaning “on the far side of, beyond.” In relation to the base to which it is prefixed, ultra- has the senses “located beyond, on the far side of ” (ultramontane; ultraviolet ), “carrying to the furthest degree possible, on the fringe of ” (ultraleft; ultramodern ), “extremely” (ultralight ); nouns to which it is added denote, in general, objects, properties, phenomena, etc., that surpass customary norms, or instruments designed to produce or deal with such things (ultramicroscope; ultrasound; ultrastructure ).

ultra

¹ American  

[uhl-truh] / ˈʌl trə /

adjective

1. going beyond what is usual or ordinary; excessive; extreme.

---

noun

ultras plural

1. an extremist, as in politics, religion, fashion, etc.

2. Military. Ultra, the British code name for intelligence gathered by decrypting German wireless communications enciphered on the Enigma machine during World War II.

ultra- ² American  

1. a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, with the basic meaning “on the far side of, beyond.” In relation to the base to which it is prefixed, ultra- has the senses “located beyond, on the far side of ” (ultramontane; ultraviolet ), “carrying to the furthest degree possible, on the fringe of ” (ultraleft; ultramodern ), “extremely” (ultralight ); nouns to which it is added denote, in general, objects, properties, phenomena, etc., that surpass customary norms, or instruments designed to produce or deal with such things (ultramicroscope; ultrasound; ultrastructure ).

---

ultra ¹ British  

/ ˈʌltrə /

adjective

1. extreme or immoderate, esp in beliefs or opinions

---

noun

1. an extremist

ultra- ² British  

prefix

1. beyond or surpassing a specified extent, range, or limit

   ultramicroscopic

2. extreme or extremely

   ultramodern

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ultras
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ultra¹

Independent use of ultra-, or shortening of words prefixed with it

Origin of ultra-²

From Latin ultrā (adverb and preposition) “on the far side,” derivative of ulter (unrecorded) “located beyond”

Explanation

Use the adjective ultra to describe something extreme, like your ultra strict parents or your own ultra radical political views. If your sister is ultra uptight and your English teacher's syllabus is ultra traditional, it means that both of them hold unusual opinions, far outside of the normal range. Neither would be a good fit for your own ultra relaxed philosophy of life. Ultra means "beyond" in Latin, and its meaning of "outside the norm" comes from the French word ultra-royaliste, or "extreme royalist." Eventually, it was shortened to just ultra, to describe any extreme opinion.

Example Sentences

The BBC's Harry Sekulich asks the public what they think, and if they would voluntarily pay more for the ultra long-haul?

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

People who race and collect cars and buy ultra high-performance tires for other reasons are also not pleased.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026

Together, the SLB portfolio of products allows oil and gas producers to target technically complex ultra deep water and offshore reserves as efficiently as possible.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

“We continue to work closely with Airbus on the delivery and certification process that will enable us to begin operating these history-making ultra long-haul flights,” the spokesperson said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Here, though, is the Plus ultra of Joseph Glanvill, published in 1668.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton