optimize

English

WOTD – 9 December 2006

Alternative forms

Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁épi
Proto-Indo-European *-tm̥mos
?
Latin optimus
Proto-Indo-European *-id-
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti
Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō
Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)
Proto-Indo-European *-mos
Proto-Indo-European *-mós
Ancient Greek -μός (-mós)
Ancient Greek -ῐσμός (-ĭsmós)bor.
Latin -ismuslbor.
French -isme
French optim(isme)
▲
Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)
Proto-Hellenic *-tās
Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs)
Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor.
Latin -istalbor.
French -iste
French optimistebor.
English optimistbf.
English optimize

    Back-formation from optimist. First attested in 1844.

    Pronunciation

    • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɑptɪmaɪz/
    • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɒptɪmaɪz/
    • Audio (US):(file)

    Verb

    optimize (third-person singular simple present optimizes, present participle optimizing, simple past and past participle optimized)

    1. (originally intransitive) To act optimistically or as an optimist.
    2. (transitive) To make (something) optimal.
      We need to optimize the supply chain to reduce costs.
      • 2026 June 17, Charles Hugh Smith, What AI Is and Is Not-- or, When Electrocution of Innocents Becomes Profitable‎[1], archived from the original on 22 September 2026:
        As I have taken pains to point out, AI's goals and instructions may be quite different from the ones it reports it's using, instructions that may also be quite different from the ones we've given it. It may also be optimizing its "rewards" by masking its operations even from those who believe they're "controlling" the AI.
    3. (transitive) To make (something) more efficient, such as a computer program.
      The website was redesigned to optimize user experience.
      He used software to optimize the performance of his computer.
      • 2003, NIOSH (editors), NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods — Chapter R (XRD methods)‎[2]:
        A high level of analyst expertise is required to optimize instrument parameters and correct for matrix interferences either during the sample preparation phase or the data analysis phase.
      • 1978, Guy L. Steele Jr., Rabbit: A Compiler for Scheme (Chapter 11)‎[3]:
        Source-to-source program transformations which optimize the resulting code are central to the approach described here.
      • 2025, Donald Trump, Executive Order 14278 (2025)‎[4]:
        It is the policy of the United States to optimize and target Federal investments in workforce development to align with our country's reindustrialization needs.
    4. (intransitive) To become optimal.

    Synonyms

    Derived terms

    Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Portuguese

    Verb

    optimize

    1. inflection of optimizar:
      1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
      2. third-person singular imperative
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