ultimate

1 of 3

adjective

ul·​ti·​mate ˈəl-tə-mət How to pronounce ultimate (audio)
1
a
: last in a progression or series : final
their ultimate destination was Paris
b
: eventual sense 2
they hoped for ultimate success
c
: the best or most extreme of its kind : utmost
the ultimate sacrifice
d
: most remote in space or time : farthest
2
: arrived at as the last result
the ultimate question
3
a
: original sense 1
the ultimate source
b
: basic, fundamental
the ultimate nature of thingsA. N. Whitehead
c
: incapable of further analysis, division, or separation
ultimateness noun

ultimate

2 of 3

noun

1
: something ultimate
especially : fundamental
2
: acme
3
capitalized : ultimate frisbee

ultimate

3 of 3

verb

ul·​ti·​mate ˈəl-tə-mət How to pronounce ultimate (audio) -ˌmāt How to pronounce ultimate (audio)
ultimated; ultimating
: end
Choose the Right Synonym for ultimate

last, final, terminal, ultimate mean following all others (as in time, order, or importance).

last applies to something that comes at the end of a series but does not always imply that the series is completed or stopped.

last page of a book
last news we had of him

final applies to that which definitely closes a series, process, or progress.

final day of school

terminal may indicate a limit of extension, growth, or development.

terminal phase of a disease

ultimate implies the last degree or stage of a long process beyond which further progress or change is impossible.

the ultimate collapse of the system

Examples of ultimate in a Sentence

Adjective Their ultimate fate has not yet been decided. Our ultimate aim is to increase production.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Who would have thought that the ultimate expression of Jake Gyllenhaal’s heart would be his ability to punch this hard? Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 Their ultimate goal is to spread hate for Israel and sever the relationship between Israel and the United States. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 The ultimate goal of Pro Shop, per Mumm, is to connect the worlds of entertainment, commerce, and golf, bringing together consumers who play the game, with the pros who live the game. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 The ultimate goal is to comb the samples for evidence that life has ever existed on Mars. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 For generations, the Bene Gesserit has been combining bloodlines with the ultimate goal of producing the Kwisatz Haderach. Lucas Trevor, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 Providence functions as the ultimate answer to all troublesome questions about evil and pain: trust the plan, and its final revelation. James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 None of the major political parties contest the right, 90% of the French people support it, and 86% say the constitution should be the ultimate guarantor of that right. Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 4 Mar. 2024 The doughnut chain gave customers at participating retail locations the ultimate SOS, offering one free OG doughnut after a nationwide telecommunications outage impacted tens of thousands of customers. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2024
Noun
Heroes have defensive and offensive capabilities, as well as a powerful ultimate. Kris Holt, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Certain hairstyles are forever defined by their primary source—and Princess Leia hair is among the ultimate of examples. Mackenzie Wagoner, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2023 For Lenox, the ultimate of aesthetic and career goals is to keep producing and arranging for other artists while making his own solo records, pop and beyond. A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 10 May 2023 That's the ultimate. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2023 That’s the ultimate. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Apr. 2023 Not only that, but Bastion has a new ultimate. Kris Holt, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2021 That's carrying nepotism to its ultimate! Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2023 Don’t wait for the perfect ultimate. Dallas News, 9 May 2022
Verb
Medterra Prepare on a life-changing journey to ultimate well-being with Medterra's CBD oil, which has been meticulously crafted through whole-plant extraction. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2023 This epic Civil Rights biopic covers the historic march from Selma to Montgomery, which ultimate leads to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Chaise Sanders, Country Living, 5 Feb. 2023 Provocative and poignant, Get Out uses discomfort to ultimate cinematic effect — especially through the chilling performances by Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford — and makes viewers squirm in their seats in the process. Leigh Hewett, EW.com, 15 Dec. 2022 From the moment Audi introduced its Quattro all-wheel-drive system in the ‘80s, ultimate all-wheel performance and handling became synonymous with the four-ringed badge. Bryan Campbell, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2022 For keen Christo fans and collectors, Sotheby’s Paris is presenting The Final Christo (until 3 October), an exhibition of 25 works telling the story of L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, from early dream to to ultimate realisation six decades later. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2021 At the beginning of Harbaugh’s tenure as Ravens coach, the Pittsburgh Steelers barred the door to ultimate success. Childs Walker, baltimoresun.com, 18 Sep. 2021 As a player, Jared Goff and Peyton Manning are counting on me to do my job, which ultimate leads to helping the team. Mitch Stephens, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Sep. 2021 Member of the 1970s all-decade team, Stabler was the 1974 NFL MVP and led the Raiders to ultimate glory in Super Bowl XI. Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ultimate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Medieval Latin ultimatus last, final, from Late Latin, past participle of ultimare to come to an end, be last, from Latin ultimus farthest, last, final, superlative of Latin *ulter situated beyond

First Known Use

Adjective

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1d

Noun

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ultimate was in 1640

Dictionary Entries Near ultimate

Cite this Entry

“Ultimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ultimate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ultimate

1 of 2 adjective
ul·​ti·​mate ˈəl-tə-mət How to pronounce ultimate (audio)
1
a
: farthest entry 1
the ultimate reaches of the universe
b
: last in a progression : final
c
: extreme entry 1 sense 1
the ultimate sacrifice
2
: arrived at as the last result
the ultimate damage of the hurricane
3
a
: basic entry 1 sense 1
ultimate control
b
: incapable of further division or separation : elemental
ultimate particles
4
: being the greatest : maximum
the ultimate speed of an airplane
ultimate noun
ultimately adverb

ultimate

2 of 2 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ultimate

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