ultimate en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /-ɪt/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation) weak vowel merger
- /ˈʌltɪmət/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- (Received-Pronunciation) audio
- (General-American) audio
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
* From Medieval Latin ultimātus (“furthest, last”), perfect passive participle of ultimō (“to come to an end”) (see -ate (1,2 and 3)), from ultimus (“last, final”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). See ultra-. * (ultimate frisbee): The sport was renamed to avoid the use of the Frisbee trademark.
Meanings
-
(not-comparable) Final; last in a series.
[…] they [the sounds of an echo] next strike the ultimate secondary object, then the penultimate and antepenultimate; […]
1677, Robert Plot, “Of the Heavens and Air”, in The natural history of Oxford-shire: Being an Essay Toward the Natural History of England, page 15:
- (not-comparable, of a syllable) Last in a word or other utterance.
-
Being the greatest possible; maximum; most extreme.
the ultimate pleasure
Dr. Bucknill declares that the growth and renovation of nerve-cells in the brain "are the most ultimate conditions of mind with which we are accquainted"; but instead of inferring from this that we know very little indeed about the mind, he concludes that thought, recollection, and reason are products of "the activity of the vesicular neurine of the brain."
1867, The North American Review, O. Everett, page 634:"From the foregoing observations we deduce the interesting fact that acetic acid, hitherto known only as a product of the oxidation of organic materials, can be built up by almost direct synthesis from its elements. Sulphide of carbon, chloride of carbon, and chlorine, are the agents which, along with water, accomplish the transformation of carbon into acetic acid. If we could only transform acetic acid into alcohol, and out of the latier could obtain sugar and starch, then we should be enabled to build up these common vegetable principles, by the so-called artificial method, from their most ultimate elements."
1843, Artizan Club (London, England), The Artizan, Simpkin, Marshall, and Company, page 106:Not that we consider this as the most desirable channel in which these affections should be made to flow. The good that is done in this way, is by no means in proportion to the good that is intended. Injudicious charity has probably been productive of far more ultimate evil, than the coldest and most indiscriminating selfishness.
1813, Henry Ware, Noah Worcester, The Christian Disciple and Theological Review, Boston, Cummings and Hilliard, pages 227-228:the ultimate disappointment
Hepaticology, outside the temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere, still lies deep in the shadow cast by that ultimate "closet taxonomist," Franz Stephani—a ghost whose shadow falls over us all.
1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page vii:"But if Berkeley be clear in conveying his doctrine, the matter of the exposition will be found not the less to press upon the powers of the firmest intellect. There are diligent students of modern metaphysical literature, who are little disciplined for the difficulties of disquisition into which a thorough examination of his views would lead them. His characteristic system depends little on mere classification, little on the more obvious results of observation. It rests on a basis of intense self-contemplation, which, to be prosecuted to any purpose, must be prosecuted with extreme perseverance. It questions the conscious being on points the most ultimate in his nature, — points which, though they be but facts of consciousness, we hesitate not to say, there are many minds wholly unable to make the objects of reflection."
1839, Thomas Bartlett, Memoirs of the Life, Character and Writings of Joseph Butler, John W. Parker, page 264:
- Being the most distant or extreme; farthest.
- (not-comparable) That will happen at some time; eventual.
-
(not-comparable) Last in a train of progression or consequences; tended toward by all that precedes; arrived at, as the last result; final.
those ultimate truths and those universal laws of thought which we cannot rationally contradict
1825, S[amuel] T[aylor] Coleridge, Aids to Reflection in the Formation of a Manly Character on the Several Grounds of Prudence, Morality, and Religion: […], London: […] Thomas Davison, […] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC:
-
(not-comparable) Incapable of further analysis; incapable of further division or separation; constituent; elemental.
an ultimate constituent of matter
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more ultimate | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most ultimate | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
derivative · initial · original · original
Coordinates
penultimate (adjectives denoting syllables) · propreantepenultimate (adjectives denoting syllables) · antepenultimate (adjectives denoting syllables) · preantepenultimate (adjectives denoting syllables)
Deriveds
penultimate · Ultimateverse · superultimate · subultimate · antepenultimate · pay the ultimate price · ultimatism · ultimate sacrifice · ultimatory · ultimateness · super-ultimate · ultimate tensile strength · ultimate wheel · ultimately · triultimate · ultimatist
Relateds
ultra- · ulterior · ultra · ultimatum
Synonyms
utmost · terminal · inevitable · endsome · uttermost · definitive · final · terminal · ultimate · conclusive · almighty · conclusive · hindmost · endly · supreme · ultimate · exquisite · extreme · last · maximal · hindermost · ferocious · extreme · maximum · passing · decisive · last · outermost · greatest · intense · uttermost · outmost · utmost · highest · raging
Translations (115)
hu leghátulsó (last in a word or other utterance) · ru кра́йний (final; last in a series) · ru наибо́льший (greatest or maximum) · mk за́вршен (final; last in a series) · it ultimativa (eventual) · ja 究極の (greatest or maximum) · no endelig (final; last in a series) · pt última (final; last in a series) · ga is fearr (greatest or maximum) · id pamungkas (greatest or maximum) · bg най‑отдалече́н (most distant) · ru заверши́тельный (final; last in a series) · bg съвърше́н (greatest or maximum) · bg най‑дале́чен (most distant) · bg най‑голя́м (greatest or maximum) · es mayor (greatest or maximum) · fi viimeinen (final; last in a series) · mk врвен (greatest or maximum) · pl ostatni (final; last in a series) · mk кра́ен (eventual) · mk на́јголем (greatest or maximum) · uk максима́льний (greatest or maximum) · el απόλυτος (greatest or maximum) · fi kaukaisin (most distant) · ru оконча́тельный (final; last in a series) · fi lopullinen (eventual) · it definitivo (eventual) · de ultimativ (final; last in a series) · ru наидальне́йший (most distant) · hu legtávolabbi (most distant) · ka უკანასკნელი (final; last in a series) · ka მაქსიმალური (greatest or maximum) · ka საბოლოო (final; last in a series) · it ultimo (final; last in a series) · hu utolsó (final; last in a series) · hu hátsó (last in a word or other utterance) · fi loppu- (last in a word or other utterance) · mk по́следен (final; last in a series) · eo fina (final; last in a series) · mk ко́нечен (eventual) · mk ко́нечен (final; last in a series) · bg после́ден (last in a word or other utterance) · pl ostateczny (greatest or maximum) · sv slutliga (greatest or maximum) · ru оконча́тельный (eventual) · ja 終わりの (final; last in a series) · ka უკიდურესი (most distant) · ja 最後の (final; last in a series) · sv slutlig (final; last in a series) · fi äärimmäinen (greatest or maximum) · uk остато́чний (final; last in a series) · fi korkein (greatest or maximum) · fr dernier (final; last in a series) · es último (most distant) · he אולטימטיבי (greatest or maximum) · it conclusivo (eventual) · uk найвідда́леніший (most distant) · ru коне́чный (eventual) · uk остато́чний (eventual) · bg кра́ен (final; last in a series) · hu hátulsó (last in a word or other utterance) · nl definitief (final; last in a series) · it estremo (greatest or maximum) · pl najwyższy (greatest or maximum) · gl último (final; last in a series) · uk оста́нній (final; last in a series) · hi अंत्य (final; last in a series) · et ülim (greatest or maximum) · it finale (eventual) · ru наивы́сший (greatest or maximum) · de ultimativ (greatest or maximum) · es ultimado (greatest or maximum) · ka უკიდურესი (greatest or maximum) · id terpungkas (greatest or maximum) · mk кра́ен (final; last in a series) · eo maksimuma (greatest or maximum) · bg най‑висш (greatest or maximum) · el έσχατος (final; last in a series) · ga deiridh (final; last in a series) · hu leghátsó (last in a word or other utterance) · it conclusiva (eventual) · bg немину́ем (eventual) · it ultima (final; last in a series) · uk кра́йній (final; last in a series) · mk најда́лечен (most distant) · bg неизбе́жен (eventual) · id terakhir (final; last in a series) · bg после́ден (final; last in a series) · pt derradeiro (greatest or maximum) · ga deireanach (final; last in a series) · hu legkülső (most distant) · eo la plej granda (greatest or maximum) · hi अंतिम (final; last in a series) · pt último (final; last in a series) · uk найбі́льший (greatest or maximum) · fi etäisin (most distant) · sv slutgiltig (final; last in a series) · id ultima (last in a word or other utterance) · el τελικός (final; last in a series) · hu végső (greatest or maximum) · it definitiva (eventual) · sv ultimat (final; last in a series) · id terjauh (most distant) · el μέγιστος (greatest or maximum) · no ultimat (greatest or maximum) · eo pleja (greatest or maximum) · de äußerster (most distant) · pl największy (greatest or maximum) · es último (final; last in a series) · bg пъ́лен (greatest or maximum) · it ultimativo (eventual) · sh najdalji (most distant) · it estrema (greatest or maximum) · fi viimeinen (last in a word or other utterance) · ru после́дний (final; last in a series)