optimization

noun

op·​ti·​mi·​za·​tion ˌäp-tə-mə-ˈzā-shən 

: an act, process, or methodology of making something (such as a design, system, or decision) as fully perfect, functional, or effective as possible

specifically : the mathematical procedures (such as finding the maximum of a function) involved in this

Did you know?

Optimization started its gradual perfection in mid-19th-century English, when it was derived from optimize, a word first used in the early part of that same century with the meaning "to make the best or most of." In basic applications, optimization refers to the act or process of making something as good as it can be. In the 21st century, it has seen much use in technical contexts having to do with attaining the best possible functionality, as in "network optimization" and "search engine optimization" (SEO). Like the words optimum and optimism (which refer, respectively, to the amount or degree of something that is best or most effective, and to a feeling or belief that good things will happen in the future), optimize and optimization derive from Latin optimus, meaning "best."

Examples of optimization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And there’s still a bit more optimization that could be done with the electrical wiring as well as increasing the baseline transparency of the components themselves. — IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2026

The company credits intelligent power optimization software alongside several manufacturing improvements for the result. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026

What differentiates Ammortal from the glut of wellness and optimization products on the market, according to its charismatic and observably in-shape founder, is the promise of a more all-encompassing experience of physical and mental restoration. — Jake Nevins, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026

Wearing CGMs and managing blood sugar spikes can contribute to lifestyle optimization and potentially prevent early metabolic dysregulation (an imbalance in how your body converts food into energy). — Teresa Maalouf, Verywell Health, 15 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

optimize + -ation

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing optimization

• sub-optimization

Rhymes for optimization

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

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