ultimately

adverb

ul·​ti·​mate·​ly ˈəl-tə-mət-lē How to pronounce ultimately (audio)
1
: in the end : fundamentally
the word comes ultimately from Latin
2
: eventually
ultimately, they agreed

Examples of ultimately in a Sentence

The changes ultimately proved to be unnecessary. Ultimately, it's a question of who is more popular.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This could ultimately help scientists rule out certain theories for dark matter and focus on others, saving a great deal of research funding for future projects. Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025 The real money in AI will ultimately come from corporate users, and the current buildout requires inking deals with suppliers and hyperscalers, CEO to CEO. Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025 Back then, inflation also ramped up past 5%, fell back toward 3%, but then ultimately soared above 10% between 1972 and 1974, hurt by the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo and the end of President Nixon's wage and price controls . Sarah Min, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025 Sure, pop and hip-hop may still ultimately dominate the top 40 arena, but the gentle upswing in popularity for a genre long clowned for being dead is obviously noteworthy. Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ultimately

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ultimately was in 1652

Cite this Entry

“Ultimately.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ultimately. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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