ultimatum
noun
ul·ti·ma·tum
ˌəl-tə-ˈmā-təm 
-ˈmä-
-ˈmä-
plural ultimatums or ultimata
ˌəl-tə-ˈmā-tə
-ˈmä-
: a final proposition, condition, or demand
especially
: one whose rejection will end negotiations and cause a resort to force or other direct action
Examples of ultimatum in a Sentence
She was given an ultimatum—work harder or lose her job.
issued the ultimatum that the project be finished by the following week, or it would be terminated
Recent Examples on the Web
The letter from the other tribes did not include a similar ultimatum.
—
The Arizona Republic, 24 Mar. 2024
Interns and residents walked off the job on Feb. 20, and most ignored a government ultimatum to return to work by Thursday, or face possible prosecution or suspension of their doctors' licenses.
—Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024
While attempting to return to their present, a cryptic force emerges and traps them on a strange plot of land, giving them a deathly ultimatum in order to escape.
—Caroline Brew, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024
The ultimatum was salient given that Tesla’s monstrous valuation is at least partly based on hopes that Musk would eventually move the company beyond cars to make it into a technology juggernaut.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
The three dozen eyewitnesses CNN spoke with from across Jazira, including survivors and the families of victims, say refusing the RSF’s ultimatum comes at the cost of food, home and safety.
—Pallabi Munsi, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024
The ultimatum drew widespread condemnation, even from within the hard-right government.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2024
Young initially spoke out against the false claims Rogan made about vaccines and COVID-19 in January 2022, offering an ultimatum to Spotify that the streamer either needed to remove The Joe Rogan Experience or his music.
—Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
But they're accused of taking their scheme a step further and giving their target an ultimatum: pay them cash or get reported to police.
—Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 13 Mar. 2024
The Arizona Republic, 24 Mar. 2024
Interns and residents walked off the job on Feb. 20, and most ignored a government ultimatum to return to work by Thursday, or face possible prosecution or suspension of their doctors' licenses.
—Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024
While attempting to return to their present, a cryptic force emerges and traps them on a strange plot of land, giving them a deathly ultimatum in order to escape.
—Caroline Brew, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024
The ultimatum was salient given that Tesla’s monstrous valuation is at least partly based on hopes that Musk would eventually move the company beyond cars to make it into a technology juggernaut.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
The three dozen eyewitnesses CNN spoke with from across Jazira, including survivors and the families of victims, say refusing the RSF’s ultimatum comes at the cost of food, home and safety.
—Pallabi Munsi, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024
The ultimatum drew widespread condemnation, even from within the hard-right government.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2024
Young initially spoke out against the false claims Rogan made about vaccines and COVID-19 in January 2022, offering an ultimatum to Spotify that the streamer either needed to remove The Joe Rogan Experience or his music.
—Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
But they're accused of taking their scheme a step further and giving their target an ultimatum: pay them cash or get reported to police.
—Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 13 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ultimatum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to ultimatum
Dictionary Entries Near ultimatum
Cite this Entry
“Ultimatum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ultimatum. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ultimatum
noun
ul·ti·ma·tum
ˌəl-tə-ˈmāt-əm
-ˈmät-
-ˈmät-
plural ultimatums or ultimata
-ə
: a demand that if rejected will bring about an end of peaceful talks and could lead to forceful action
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share