ultimate

English

English numbers ^(edit)

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Cardinal: one     Ordinal: first     Abbreviated ordinal: 1st     Latinate ordinal: primary     Reverse order ordinal: last     Latinate reverse order ordinal: ultimate     Adverbial: one time, once     Multiplier: onefold     Latinate multiplier: single     Distributive: singly     Germanic collective: onesome     Collective of n parts: singlet, singleton     Greek or Latinate collective: monad     Greek collective prefix: mono-     Latinate collective prefix: uni-     Fractional: whole     Elemental: singlet, singleton     Greek prefix: proto-     Number of musicians: solo     Number of years: year

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-tm̥mos

Proto-Italic *oltm̥mos

Latin ultimus

Old Latin -ōider.

Latin -ō

Latin ultimō

Medieval Latin ultimātusder.

English ultimate

• 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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈʌltɪmət/, /ˈʊl-/, (weak vowel merger) /-ɪt/

• Audio (Received Pronunciation):

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• Audio (Southern England):

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• Audio (General American):

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• Rhymes: -ʌltɪmət
• Hyphenation: ul‧tim‧ate

Adjective

ultimate (comparative more ultimate, superlative most ultimate)

1. (not comparable) Final; last in a series.

   Synonyms: conclusive, last, terminal; see also Thesaurus:final

   Antonyms: initial, original

   • 1677, Robert Plot, “Of the Heavens and Air”, in The natural history of Oxford-shire: Being an Essay Toward the Natural History of England‎^[1], page 15:

     […] they [the sounds of an echo] next strike the ultimate secondary object, then the penultimate and antepenultimate; […]

2. (not comparable, of a syllable) Last in a word or other utterance.
3. Being the greatest possible; maximum; most extreme.

   Synonyms: supreme, utmost, uttermost; see also Thesaurus:extreme

   Antonyms: original, derivative

   the ultimate pleasure

   the ultimate disappointment

   • 1813, Henry Ware, Noah Worcester, The Christian Disciple and Theological Review‎^[2], Boston, Cummings and Hilliard, pages 227-228:

     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.

   • 1839, Thomas Bartlett, Memoirs of the Life, Character and Writings of Joseph Butler‎^[3], John W. Parker, page 264:

     "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."

   • 1843, Artizan Club (London, England), The Artizan‎^[4], Simpkin, Marshall, and Company, page 106:

     "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."

   • 1867, The North American Review‎^[5], O. Everett, page 634:

     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."

   • 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:

     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.

4. Being the most distant or extreme; farthest.

   Synonyms: outermost, outmost

5. (not comparable) That will happen at some time; eventual.

   Synonym: inevitable

6. (not comparable) Last in a train of progression or consequences; tended toward by all that precedes; arrived at, as the last result; final.
   • 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:

     those ultimate truths and those universal laws of thought which we cannot rationally contradict

   • 2026 September 27, CalMatters, “How Airbnb is fighting for its place on California's coast”, in San Francisco Chronicle‎^[6], archived from the original on 28 September 2026:

     The commission has ultimate say on regulatory, planning and permitting matters that affect land use and development in the 1.5 million acres of coastline designated as the coastal zone.

7. (not comparable) Incapable of further analysis; incapable of further division or separation; constituent; elemental.

   an ultimate constituent of matter

Coordinate terms

• (adjectives denoting syllables): penultimate (last but one), antepenultimate (last but two), preantepenultimate (last but three), propreantepenultimate (last but four)

Derived terms

• antepenultimate
• pay the ultimate price
• penultimate
• subultimate
• superultimate
• super-ultimate
• triultimate
• ultimately
• ultimateness
• ultimate sacrifice
• ultimate tensile strength
• Ultimateverse
• ultimate wheel
• ultimatism
• ultimatist
• ultimatory

Related terms

• ulterior
• ultimatum
• ultra
• ultra-

Translations

final; last in a series — see also last,‎ final

• Bulgarian: после́ден (bg) (posléden), кра́ен (bg) (kráen)
• Dutch: definitief (nl)
• Esperanto: fina
• Finnish: viimeinen (fi)
• French: dernier (fr)
• Galician: último (gl)
• Georgian: საბოლოო (saboloo), უკანასკნელი (uḳanasḳneli)
• German: ^{(please verify)} letzter (de), ultimativ (de)
• Greek: τελικός (el) (telikós), έσχατος (el) (éschatos)
• Hindi: अंतिम (hi) (antim), अंत्य (hi) (antya)
• Hungarian: utolsó (hu)
• Indonesian: terakhir (id)
• Irish: deiridh, deireanach
• Italian: ultimo (it) m, ultima (it) f
• Japanese: 終わりの (ja) (owari no), 最後の (ja) (saigo no)
• Macedonian: по́следен m (pósleden), кра́ен m (kráen), за́вршен m (závršen), ко́нечен m (kónečen)
• Norwegian: endelig (no)
• Polish: ostatni (pl) m
• Portuguese: último (pt) m, última (pt) f
• Russian: после́дний (ru) (poslédnij), оконча́тельный (ru) (okončátelʹnyj), кра́йний (ru) (krájnij), заверши́тельный (ru) (zaveršítelʹnyj)
• Spanish: último (es)
• Swedish: ultimat (sv), slutlig (sv), slutgiltig (sv)
• Ukrainian: оста́нній (uk) (ostánnij), остато́чний (ostatóčnyj), кра́йній (krájnij)

last in a word or other utterance

• Bulgarian: после́ден (bg) (posléden)
• Finnish: viimeinen (fi), loppu-
• Hungarian: hátsó (hu), hátulsó (hu), leghátsó, leghátulsó
• Indonesian: ultima (id)

greatest or maximum — see also maximum,‎ extreme,‎ supreme,‎ definitive

• Bulgarian: най‑висш (naj‑visš), най‑голя́м (naj‑goljám), пъ́лен (bg) (pắlen), съвърше́н (bg) (săvăršén)
• Esperanto: la plej granda, pleja, maksimuma
• Estonian: ülim
• Finnish: äärimmäinen (fi), korkein (fi)
• Georgian: უკიდურესი (uḳiduresi), მაქსიმალური (maksimaluri)
• German: ultimativ (de)
• Greek: μέγιστος (el) (mégistos), απόλυτος (el) (apólytos)
• Hebrew: אולטימטיבי (ultimatívi)
• Hungarian: végső (hu)
• Indonesian: pamungkas (id), terpungkas (id)
• Irish: is fearr
• Italian: estremo (it) m, estrema (it) f
• Japanese: 究極の (ja) (kyūkyoku no)
• Macedonian: на́јголем m (nájgolem), врвен m (vrven)
• Norwegian: ultimat
• Polish: największy m, najwyższy (pl) m, ostateczny (pl)
• Portuguese: derradeiro (pt)
• Russian: наибо́льший (ru) (naibólʹšij), наивы́сший (ru) (naivýsšij)
• Spanish: mayor (es), ultimado (es)
• Swedish: slutliga (sv)
• Ukrainian: найбі́льший (uk) (najbílʹšyj), максима́льний (uk) (maksymálʹnyj)

most distant

• Bulgarian: най‑дале́чен (naj‑daléčen), най‑отдалече́н (naj‑otdalečén)
• Finnish: etäisin, kaukaisin
• Georgian: უკიდურესი (uḳiduresi)
• German: äußerster (de)
• Hungarian: legtávolabbi (hu), legkülső
• Indonesian: terjauh (id)
• Macedonian: најда́лечен m (najdálečen)
• Russian: наидальне́йший (naidalʹnéjšij)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Latin: najdalji (sh)

• Spanish: último (es)
• Ukrainian: найвідда́леніший (najviddálenišyj)

eventual

• Bulgarian: немину́ем (bg) (neminúem), неизбе́жен (bg) (neizbéžen)
• Finnish: lopullinen (fi)
• Italian: definitivo (it) m, definitiva (it) f, conclusivo (it) m, conclusiva (it) f, ultimativo (it) m, ultimativa (it) f, finale (it)
• Macedonian: ко́нечен m (kónečen), кра́ен m (kráen)
• Russian: коне́чный (ru) (konéčnyj), оконча́тельный (ru) (okončátelʹnyj)
• Ukrainian: остато́чний (ostatóčnyj)

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

• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} ultiem (nl), ^{(please verify)} laatst (nl), ^{(please verify)} uiteindelijk (nl)
• French: ^{(please verify)} ultime (fr)
• German: ^{(please verify)} ultimativ (de)
• Latin: ^{(please verify)} ultimus

Noun

ultimate (countable and uncountable, plural ultimates)

1. The most basic or fundamental of a set of things
2. The final or most distant point; the conclusion
3. The greatest extremity; the maximum
4. (uncountable, sports) Ellipsis of ultimate frisbee or ultimate disc.

Translations

the greatest extremity

• Bulgarian: крайност (bg) f (krajnost)
• Finnish: äärimmäisyys (fi), ääri (fi)
• Māori: ikeiketanga

ultimate frisbee — see ultimate frisbee

Verb

ultimate (third-person singular simple present ultimates, present participle ultimating, simple past and past participle ultimated)

1. (transitive, archaic) To finish; to complete.
   • 1869, The New-Jerusalem Magazine, volume 41, page 36:

     These measures have been carried forward with a zeal and unanimity that warrant the hope we entertain, of ultimating the plans in respect to our Temple, before the next meeting of the Maryland Association.

Translations

Translations

• Bulgarian: приклю́чвам (bg) impf (prikljúčvam), приклю́ча pf (prikljúča)
• Spanish: ultimar (es)

Further reading

• “ultimate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “ultimate”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Anagrams

• mutilate

Finnish

Etymology

From English ultimate.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈultimɑte/, [ˈul̪t̪iˌmɑ̝t̪e̞]
• Rhymes: -ɑte
• Syllabification^(key): ul‧ti‧ma‧te
• Hyphenation^(key): ul‧ti‧ma‧te

Noun

ultimate

1. ultimate frisbee (game)

Declension

Inflection of ultimate (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)
nominative		ultimate	ultimatet
genitive		ultimaten	ultimatejen
partitive		ultimatea	ultimateja
illative		ultimateen	ultimateihin
		singular	plural
nominative		ultimate	ultimatet
accusative	nom.	ultimate	ultimatet
	gen.	ultimaten
genitive		ultimaten	ultimatejen ultimatein rare
partitive		ultimatea	ultimateja
inessive		ultimatessa	ultimateissa
elative		ultimatesta	ultimateista
illative		ultimateen	ultimateihin
adessive		ultimatella	ultimateilla
ablative		ultimatelta	ultimateilta
allative		ultimatelle	ultimateille
essive		ultimatena	ultimateina
translative		ultimateksi	ultimateiksi
abessive		ultimatetta	ultimateitta
instructive		—	ultimatein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of ultimate (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ultimateni ultimateni accusative nom. ultimateni ultimateni gen. ultimateni genitive ultimateni ultimatejeni ultimateini rare partitive ultimateani ultimatejani inessive ultimatessani ultimateissani elative ultimatestani ultimateistani illative ultimateeni ultimateihini adessive ultimatellani ultimateillani ablative ultimateltani ultimateiltani allative ultimatelleni ultimateilleni essive ultimatenani ultimateinani translative ultimatekseni ultimateikseni abessive ultimatettani ultimateittani instructive — — comitative — ultimateineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ultimatesi ultimatesi accusative nom. ultimatesi ultimatesi gen. ultimatesi genitive ultimatesi ultimatejesi ultimateisi rare partitive ultimateasi ultimatejasi inessive ultimatessasi ultimateissasi elative ultimatestasi ultimateistasi illative ultimateesi ultimateihisi adessive ultimatellasi ultimateillasi ablative ultimateltasi ultimateiltasi allative ultimatellesi ultimateillesi essive ultimatenasi ultimateinasi translative ultimateksesi ultimateiksesi abessive ultimatettasi ultimateittasi instructive — — comitative — ultimateinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ultimatemme ultimatemme accusative nom. ultimatemme ultimatemme gen. ultimatemme genitive ultimatemme ultimatejemme ultimateimme rare partitive ultimateamme ultimatejamme inessive ultimatessamme ultimateissamme elative ultimatestamme ultimateistamme illative ultimateemme ultimateihimme adessive ultimatellamme ultimateillamme ablative ultimateltamme ultimateiltamme allative ultimatellemme ultimateillemme essive ultimatenamme ultimateinamme translative ultimateksemme ultimateiksemme abessive ultimatettamme ultimateittamme instructive — — comitative — ultimateinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ultimatenne ultimatenne accusative nom. ultimatenne ultimatenne gen. ultimatenne genitive ultimatenne ultimatejenne ultimateinne rare partitive ultimateanne ultimatejanne inessive ultimatessanne ultimateissanne elative ultimatestanne ultimateistanne illative ultimateenne ultimateihinne adessive ultimatellanne ultimateillanne ablative ultimateltanne ultimateiltanne allative ultimatellenne ultimateillenne essive ultimatenanne ultimateinanne translative ultimateksenne ultimateiksenne abessive ultimatettanne ultimateittanne instructive — — comitative — ultimateinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative ultimatensa ultimatensa accusative nom. ultimatensa ultimatensa gen. ultimatensa genitive ultimatensa ultimatejensa ultimateinsa rare partitive ultimateaan ultimateansa ultimatejaan ultimatejansa inessive ultimatessaan ultimatessansa ultimateissaan ultimateissansa elative ultimatestaan ultimatestansa ultimateistaan ultimateistansa illative ultimateensa ultimateihinsa adessive ultimatellaan ultimatellansa ultimateillaan ultimateillansa ablative ultimateltaan ultimateltansa ultimateiltaan ultimateiltansa allative ultimatelleen ultimatellensa ultimateilleen ultimateillensa essive ultimatenaan ultimatenansa ultimateinaan ultimateinansa translative ultimatekseen ultimateksensa ultimateikseen ultimateiksensa abessive ultimatettaan ultimatettansa ultimateittaan ultimateittansa instructive — — comitative — ultimateineen ultimateinensa

Synonyms

• liitokiekkoilu

Anagrams

• amuletit, amuletti, laitumet, leimattu, leimatut

Italian

Etymology 1

Verb

ultimate

1. inflection of ultimare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

Participle

ultimate f pl

1. feminine plural of ultimato

Anagrams

• multiate, mutilate

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ʊɫ.tɪˈmaː.tɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ul.tiˈmaː.te]

Verb

ultimāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of ultimō

Spanish

Verb

ultimate

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of ultimar combined with te