suboptimization

noun

sub·​op·​ti·​mi·​za·​tion ˌsəb-ˌäp-tə-mə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce suboptimization (audio)
variants or sub-optimization
plural suboptimizations or sub-optimizations
: inadequate or flawed optimization
These new offices must carry out a dual role to avoid suboptimization of resources or moving things too slowly.Joseph A DeFeo
especially : optimization of a part of a system or an organization rather than of the system or organization as a whole
Suboptimization, that is to say, optimization of a particular process or subsystem, may be less efficient than optimization of the larger-scale system. Robert A Frosch
The opposite side of the coin is to select criteria that produce suboptimizations that are inconsistent with higher-level goals. Military Operations Research Division of Science Applications
suboptimize transitive verb
or sub-optimize
suboptimized or sub-optimized; suboptimizing or sub-optimizing
Don't suboptimize the tasks. Although your paper prototype is built around a particular set of tasks you've created, don't forget about all the other tasks that users might be doing in real life. Carolyn Snyder
The absence of responsibility contributes to the absence of accountability, which contributes to logistics decisions that suboptimize the organization. When we say 'suboptimize,' we mean the local decisions made may be optimal, but the overall impact on the firm is not optimal. Thomas J. Goldsby and Robert Martichenko

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of suboptimization was in 1950

Dictionary Entries Near suboptimization

Cite this Entry

“Suboptimization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suboptimization. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

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