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
Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 12 May 2025
The best acquisitions support balance sheet optimization, earnings growth and sound risk management.
—Paul Davis, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
The awards highlight measurable impacts AI delivers in various business operations, including marketing, customer experience, product development and supply chain optimization.
—Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
Optimize for Local Keywords Improving your dealership's local search rankings starts with car dealership local keyword optimization.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 7 May 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 20 May. 2025.
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