optimal

adjective op·ti·mal \ ˈäp-tə-məl \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

: most desirable or satisfactory : optimum

the optimal use of class time

the optimal dosage of medication for a patient

conditions for optimal development

—

optimality

play \ˌäp-tə-ˈma-lə-tē\ noun

—

optimally

play \ˈäp-tə-mə-lē\ adverb

See optimal defined for English-language learners

See optimal defined for kids

Examples of optimal in a Sentence

He keeps his engine tuned for optimal performance.
Under optimal conditions, these plants grow quite tall.

Recent Examples of optimal from the Web

This is not a position the Mills found to be optimal.

— jeff mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, "Spurs face tough choices in dealing with Durant, Thompson," 15 Apr. 2018
For those wanting to reencounter the brilliance of Shakespeare and Shaw, Bedlam's frenetic approach is not the optimal way.

— charles mcnulty, latimes.com, "Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' and Shaw's 'Saint Joan': A marathon for four actors, and the audience," 9 Apr. 2018
Jeffery, playing then on a one-year free-agent deal, didn’t think that was optimal.

— les bowen, Philly.com, "Eagles' Alshon Jeffery needs time to heal shoulder injury, but is eager to pursue another title," 6 Apr. 2018
But even better than their looks is their special soft spike outsole that is curved to be optimal for gripping and rotating on grass.

— jake woolf, GQ, "The Best Golf Shirts, Shoes, Pants and More For Men of Style," 5 Apr. 2018
The orange zone – 84 to 91 percent of an individual’s maximum heart rate – is optimal, according to the fitness franchise, which has locations across the U.S. and in several countries.

— valerie bonk, Howard County Times, "Gym members get heart rate-based workouts at the county's first Orangetheory," 3 Apr. 2018
Food shouldn’t be the temperature of molten lava, but barely warm usually isn’t optimal, either.

— carol deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Flavors of France, Spain and beyond mingle at Mistral in Milwaukee," 3 Apr. 2018
Honorable mention Tight end: Travis Kelce is still a star in his prime at 29, but Demetrius Harris is entering the last year of his contract and finding a developmental receiving threat would be optimal.

— terez a. paylor, kansascity, "Here are the Chiefs’ five biggest needs heading into next season | The Kansas City Star," 9 Mar. 2018
Company officials said at the time of the 2016 launch that the new model's design was optimal for more challenging European driving conditions.

— james mcauley, Washington Post, "Why Europe may retaliate against Kentucky bourbon, Levi’s blue jeans and Harley-Davidson motorcycles," 5 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'optimal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of optimal

optim(um) + ¹-al

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1890

See Words from the same year

OPTIMAL Defined for English Language Learners

optimal

adjective

: best or most effective

Medical Dictionary

optimal

adjective op·ti·mal \ ˈäp-tə-məl \

: most desirable or satisfactory : optimum

optimal concentrations of a drug

—

optimality

play \ˌäp-tə-ˈmal-ət-ē\ noun, plural -ties

—

optimally

play \-mə-lē\ adverb

Learn More about optimal

Spanish Central: Translation of optimal Nglish: Translation of optimal for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of optimal for Arabic speakers

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