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
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025
On one side, the exponential rise of AI is demanding more speed, more output and more optimization.
—Chris Schembra, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
And doctors began pinpointing the midlife hormonal transition period as a key time for health optimization in books such as The New Menopause and How to Menopause.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 22 Dec. 2025
Competition between brands, panel supply expansion, the optimization of manufacturing processes, and the commoditization of supporting components reduce prices too.
—New Atlas, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optimization
Cite this Entry
“Optimization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optimization. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
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