optimization
noun
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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
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 26 Feb. 2026
Constant adaptation is a challenge in the optimization sector, addressed by integrating new models and maintaining an intuitive platform for both new and experienced users as the world shifts from AI curiosity to AI dependency in workflows.
—Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
The service uses an agentic AI application by analyzing video in real time and automatically applies the right optimizations at the right moments.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 24 Feb. 2026
This enables advanced optimization tasks, previously limited to high-performance servers, to run in real time on compact, low-power devices such as vehicle systems and robot controllers.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for optimization
Cite this Entry
“Optimization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optimization. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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