ULTIMATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does ultimate mean? 

• ULTIMATE (noun)
  The noun ULTIMATE has 1 sense:

1. the finest or most superior quality of its kind

  Familiarity information: ULTIMATE used as a noun is very rare.

• ULTIMATE (adjective)
  The adjective ULTIMATE has 2 senses:

1. furthest or highest in degree or order; utmost or extreme

2. being the last or concluding element of a series

  Familiarity information: ULTIMATE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ULTIMATE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The finest or most superior quality of its kind

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

the ultimate in luxury

Hypernyms ("ultimate" is a kind of...):

quality (an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone)

• ULTIMATE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Furthest or highest in degree or order; utmost or extreme

Context example:

one's ultimate goal in life

Similar:

crowning (representing a level of the highest possible achievement or attainment)

eventual (expected to follow in the indefinite future from causes already operating)

final; last; net (conclusive in a process or progression)

last-ditch (of something done as a final recourse (especially to prevent a crisis or disaster))

supreme (final or last in your life or progress)

Attribute:

ultimacy; ultimateness (the state or degree of being ultimate; the final or most extreme in degree or size or time or distance)

Antonym:

proximate (closest in degree or order (space or time) especially in a chain of causes and effects)

Derivation:

ultimateness (the state or degree of being ultimate; the final or most extreme in degree or size or time or distance)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Being the last or concluding element of a series

Context example:

a distinction between the verb and noun senses of 'conflict' is that in the verb the stress is on the ultimate (or last) syllable

Similar:

last (coming after all others in time or space or degree or being the only one remaining)

Derivation:

ultimateness (the state or degree of being ultimate; the final or most extreme in degree or size or time or distance)

 Context examples 

And I am quite convinced that your being with Mrs. Norris will be as good for your mind as riding has been for your health, and as much for your ultimate happiness too.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

The goal of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is the ultimate prevention and cure of cancer.

(Barbara Ann Karmano Cancer Institute, NCI Thesaurus)

This investigator has full and ultimate responsibility for all research conducted under the award.

(Funded Principal Investigator, NCI Thesaurus)

It means that you can never know ultimate reality.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

“The advent of the Internet of Things, Industry 4.0 and the 5G era represent unique opportunities for graphene to demonstrate its ultimate potential.”

(Graphene may exceed bandwidth demands of future telecommunications, University of Cambridge)

Mina says that perhaps we are the instruments of ultimate good. It may be! I shall try to think as she does.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

And knowing the masses of the two giant galaxies will help to reveal the details of our ultimate fate.

(No Winner in Milky Way-Andromeda Clash, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Such patients would still be required to take anti-rejection drugs so the ultimate goal is to grow pigs with human ready organs that don't require any medication.

(Scientist Move Closer to Pig-human Organ Transplants, VOA)

The ultimate result in either pathway is the creation of the membrane attack complex, a large pore in the cell membrane that results in cell lysis.

(Alternative Complement Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

The ultimate goal of the team is to explore the potential applications of melatonin for the treatment of human obesity.

(Study confirms melatonin helps burn calories and curbs weight gain, University of Granada)