utmost

adjective ut·most \ ˈət-ˌmōst , especially Southern -məst \

Updated on: 17 May 2018

Definition of utmost

1 : situated at the farthest or most distant point : extreme

the utmost point of the earth
—John Hunt

2 : of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, number, or amount

a matter of utmost concern

See utmost defined for English-language learners

See utmost defined for kids

utmost was our Word of the Day on 08/12/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of utmost in a Sentence

supreme power that extended to the utmost points of the empire
inhabitants of the war-ravaged region are experiencing the utmost misery imaginable

Recent Examples of utmost from the Web

Yes, the quality and safety of the pizza is of the utmost importance.

— ben mutzabaugh, USA TODAY, "JetBlue to deliver fresh NYC pizza to Los Angeles," 4 May 2018
The grandest carriage of all is the Gold State Coach, which is only used for occasions of utmost importance (like coronations).

— elise taylor, Vogue, "Royal Carriages Throughout History, Including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Wedding Wheels," 3 May 2018
If size was of the utmost importance, a three-carat diamond of lesser quality in color and clarity (but of the same cushion cut) could retail for as low as $80,000.

— carrie goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "How Much Does Meghan Markle's Engagement Ring Cost?," 2 May 2018
While quality is of the utmost importance, quantity is a factor here.

— steven ruiz, For The Win, "Ranking every team's 2018 NFL draft class: The Broncos nail it while the Patriots stumble," 30 Apr. 2018
That's why this weekend is of utmost importance for Urban Meyer to make a strong impression on Gunnell.

— tim bielik, cleveland.com, "4-star quarterback Grant Gunnell begins an important official visit for Ohio State: Buckeyes football recruiting," 27 Apr. 2018
All of us to totally agree that national security is of the utmost importance.

— Bloomberg.com, "Trump's Latest Plan for Saving Coal Comes From the Cold War," 21 Apr. 2018
Even so, McDonnell made sure to deliver the following assessment with the utmost sincerity.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "'Ultimate teammate' Logan Wyatt fires up the bats for Louisville baseball," 19 Apr. 2018
Trump demanded utmost loyalty from the people who held those positions.

— kevin liptak, CNN, "Bolton, Kudlow on the rise, but risks abound," 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'utmost.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Utmost traces back to the Old English Ūtmest, a superlative adjective formed from the adverb Ūt, meaning "out." Ūtmest eventually evolved into utmost, perhaps influenced by the spelling of the word most. Not surprisingly, the earlier sense of utmost carries the same meaning as outermost. The second sense of utmost, meaning "of the greatest or highest degree," first appeared in English in the 14th century but didn't see frequent use until almost 400 years later. A related word is utter, meaning "absolute" or "total," as in the phrase utter chaos; it comes from Old English utera, meaning "outer," and ultimately from Ūt.

Origin and Etymology of utmost

Middle English, alteration of utmest, from Old English ūtmest, superlative adjective, from ūt out, adverb — more at out

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First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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utmost Synonyms

utmost

noun

Definition of utmost

1 : the most possible : the extreme limit : the highest attainable point or degree

the utmost in reliability

2 : the highest, greatest, or best of one's abilities, powers, and resources

will do our utmost to help

See utmost defined for English-language learners

Examples of utmost in a Sentence

This new system represents the utmost in modern technology.
It's designed to provide the utmost in comfort.
We had to push ourselves to the utmost to finish the job in time.

Recent Examples of utmost from the Web

Having scored four against the Foxes last season, Kane and his Tottenham teammates will be doing their utmost to ensure that history does in fact repeat itself.

— SI.com, "Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City Match Preview: Classic Encounter, Key Battle, Team News & More," 12 May 2018
Juve did their utmost to turn the tide, and Handanovic had to make a smart low save against Costa and a brilliant stop from substitute Paulo Dybala's fine free kick.

— SI.com, "Juventus Comes Back From 2-1 Deficit to Beat 10-Man Inter," 28 Apr. 2018
Our family would like to express their utmost regret, sorrow for what happened to innocent victims.

— richard winton, latimes.com, "Nasim Aghdam raged at YouTube, but her family is stunned it ended in gunfire," 5 Apr. 2018
At Lufthansa Group, the safety, health and security of our passengers is the utmost of importance and a first priority.

— alexandra deabler, Fox News, "Dog stranded in Germany after airline deems him unfit to fly because of 'panicked reaction'," 29 Mar. 2018
The safety of our students and staff is our utmost priority.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Police investigate report of written threat made at Aberdeen High School," 31 Jan. 2018
Meanwhile, Republicans are doing their utmost to roll back health care and undermine access to mental health care treatment, an important piece of the puzzle for opioid users.

— zachary siegel, Slate Magazine, "Life Expectancy Is Down, Again, Thanks to Opioids," 21 Dec. 2017
Second, beyond resolutions condemning Trump's remarks, every member of Congress should do his or her utmost to remove the neo-Nazi iconography in their districts and states.

— jennifer rubin, Alaska Dispatch News, "Republicans, cut the outrage. It’s time to disown Trump.," 16 Aug. 2017
The Duffer Brothers did that to the utmost in Stranger Things 2, and also painted a clear picture of where the show will go in Season Three.

— mehera bonner, Marie Claire, "Taylor Swift Packed *So Many* Joe Alwyn References into Her "...Ready for It?" Video," 27 Oct. 2017

First Known Use of utmost

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

UTMOST Defined for English Language Learners

utmost

adjective

Definition of utmost for English Language Learners

: greatest or highest in degree, number, or amount
: farthest or most distant

utmost

noun

Definition of utmost for English Language Learners

: the highest point or degree that can be reached

UTMOST Defined for Kids

utmost

adjective ut·most \ ˈət-ˌmōst \

Definition of utmost for Students

: of the greatest or highest degree or amount

The message is of the utmost importance.

utmost

noun

Definition of utmost for Students

: the greatest or highest degree or amount

She stretched her arm to the utmost.

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See words that rhyme with utmost Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for utmost Spanish Central: Translation of utmost Nglish: Translation of utmost for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of utmost for Arabic speakers

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utmost

Definition of utmost

utmost was our Word of the Day on 08/12/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of utmost in a Sentence

Recent Examples of utmost from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of utmost

utmost Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

utmost

Definition of utmost

Examples of utmost in a Sentence

Recent Examples of utmost from the Web

First Known Use of utmost

Phrases Related to UTMOST

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UTMOST Defined for English Language Learners

utmost

Definition of utmost for English Language Learners

utmost

Definition of utmost for English Language Learners

UTMOST Defined for Kids

utmost

Definition of utmost for Students

utmost

Definition of utmost for Students

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