ultimate - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

ultimate

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈʌltɪmət/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈʌltəmɪt/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ul′tə mit)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024
ul•ti•mate /ˈʌltəmɪt/USA pronunciation   adj. [before a noun]
  1. last;
    furthest or farthest:an ultimate destination.
  2. decisive;
    conclusive;
    highest:the ultimate authority.
  3. most extreme:the ultimate sacrifice.
  4. final;
    total:the ultimate cost.
  5. unequaled or unsurpassed;
    best:the ultimate vacation.

n. [uncountable* the + ~]
  1. the final point or result.
  2. a fundamental fact or principle.
  3. the finest or most superior of its kind;
    the best:This apartment is the ultimate in luxury.
ul•ti•mate•ly, adv. See -ult-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024
ul•ti•mate  (ul′tə mit),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. last;
    furthest or farthest;
    ending a process or series:the ultimate point in a journey; the ultimate style in hats.
  2. maximum;
    decisive;
    conclusive:the ultimate authority; the ultimate weapon.
  3. highest;
    not subsidiary:ultimate goal in life.
  4. basic;
    fundamental;
    representing a limit beyond which further progress, as in investigation or analysis, is impossible:the ultimate particle; ultimate principles.
  5. final;
    total:the ultimate consequences; the ultimate cost of a project.
  6. not to be improved upon or surpassed;
    greatest;
    unsurpassed:the ultimate vacation spot; the ultimate stupidity.

n. 
  1. the final point;
    final result.
  2. a fundamental fact or principle.
  3. the best, greatest, or most extreme of its kind.
  • Late Latin ultimātus (past participle of ultimāre to come to an end), equivalent. to Latin ultim(us) last, most distant (see ultima) + -ātus -ate1
  • 1645–55
ul′ti•mate•ly, adv. 
ul′ti•mate•ness, n. 
    • 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged extreme, remotest, uttermost.
    • 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged supreme.
    • 5.See corresponding entry in Unabridged See last 1.
    • 5.See corresponding entry in Unabridged first.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
ultimate /ˈʌltɪmɪt/ adj
  1. conclusive in a series or process; last; final: an ultimate question
  2. the highest or most significant: the ultimate goal
  3. elemental, fundamental, basic, or essential
  4. most extreme: genocide is the ultimate abuse of human rights
  5. final or total: an ultimate cost of twenty million pounds
 n
  1. the most significant, highest, furthest, or greatest thing
Etymology: 17th Century: from Late Latin ultimāre to come to an end, from Latin ultimus last, from ulter distant
'ultimate' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Absolute - Brahman - Druze - Götterdämmerung - Judgment - Leyte Gulf - Ragnarök - absolute - agnostic - agnosticism - analysis - apocalypse - atomism - banana - barnacle goose - be - be-all and end-all - best - bloom - bomb - bottom - bottom line - buildup - category - church expectant - clear - constituent - definitive - desperate - destination - destiny - dualism - element - elemental - elementary - end - end use - end user - end-all - eventual - extreme - fatality - fate - final - finality - food chain - forward - grail - ideal - immediate constituent
Collocations: our ultimate [goal, aim, objective] is (to), with the ultimate [goal] of [getting, improving, protecting, having], the ultimate purpose of the [plan, visit, talks], more...

Forum discussions with the word(s) "ultimate" in the title:


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