Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Ultimate
Ul′ti-mate
,Adj.
1.
Farthest; most remote in space or time; extreme; last; final.
My harbor, and my
ultimate
repose. Milton.
Many actions apt to procure fame are not conductive to this our
ultimate
happiness. Addison.
2.
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 can not rationally contradict. Coleridge.
3.
Incapable of further analysis; incapable of further division or separation; constituent; elemental;
as, an
. ultimate
particle; an ultimate
constituent of matterUltimate analysis
(Chem.)
, organic analysis. See under
– Organic
. Ultimate belief
. See under
– Belief
. Ultimate ratio
(Math.)
, the limiting value of a ratio, or that toward which a series tends, and which it does not pass.
Syn. – Final; conclusive. See
Final
. Ul′ti-mate
,Verb.
T.
& I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Ultimated
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Ultimating
.] 1.
To come or bring to an end or issue; to eventuate; to end.
[R.]
2.
To come or bring into use or practice.
[R.]
Webster 1828 Edition
Ultimate
UL'TIMATE
,Adj.
1.
Furthest; most remote; extreme. We have not yet arrived at the ultimate point of progression.2.
Final; being that to which all the rest is directed, as to the main object. The ultimate end of our actions should be the glory of God, or the display of his exalted excellence. The ultimate end and aim of men is to be happy, and to attain to this end, we must yield that obedience which will honor the law and character of God.3.
Last in a train of consequences; intended in the last resort.Many actions apt to procure fame, are not conductive to this our ultimate happiness.
4.
Last; terminating; being at the furthest point.5.
The last into which a substance can be resolved; constituent.Definition 2024
ultimate
ultimate
English
Adjective
ultimate (not comparable)
- Final; last in a series.
- 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:
- […] they [the sounds of an echo] next strike the ultimate secondary object, then the penultimate and antepenultimate; […]
-
- (of a syllable) Last in a word or other utterance.
- Being the greatest possible; maximum; most extreme.
- the ultimate pleasure
- the ultimate disappointment
- 1992, Rudolf M. Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, 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.
- Being the most distant or extreme; farthest.
- That will happen at some time; eventual.
- Last in a train of progression or consequences; tended toward by all that precedes; arrived at, as the last result; final.
- Coleridge
- those ultimate truths and those universal laws of thought which we cannot rationally contradict
- Coleridge
- Incapable of further analysis; incapable of further division or separation; constituent; elemental.
- an ultimate constituent of matter
Antonyms
- (w.r.t. causes): proximate
Derived terms
Coordinate terms
- (adjectives denoting syllables): penultimate (last but one), antepenultimate (last but two), preantepenultimate (last but three), propreantepenultimate (last but four)
Related terms
Translations
final; last in a series
|
last in a word or other utterance
greatest or maximum
|
most distant
eventual
|
Noun
ultimate (plural ultimates)
- The most basic or fundamental of a set of things
- The final or most distant point; the conclusion
- The greatest extremity; the maximum
- (uncountable) The sport of ultimate frisbee.
Translations
ultimate frisbee — see ultimate frisbee
Verb
ultimate (third-person singular simple present ultimates, present participle ultimating, simple past and past participle ultimated)
- (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.
- 1869, The New-Jerusalem Magazine (volume 41, page 36)
Anagrams
Finnish
Etymology
From English.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈultimɑte/
- Hyphenation: ul‧ti‧ma‧te
Noun
ultimate
- 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 ultimateinrare |
|
| 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 | |
| instructive | — | ultimatein | |
| abessive | ultimatetta | ultimateitta | |
| comitative | — | ultimateineen | |