1
: situated at the farthest or most distant point : extreme
the utmost point of the earth—
John Hunt
John Hunt2
: of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, number, or amount
a matter of utmost concern
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
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Utmost comes from Old English ūtmest, a superlative adjective formed from the adverb ūt, meaning "out." The earlier sense of utmost carries the same meaning as outermost.
Examples of utmost in a Sentence
Adjective
supreme power that extended to the utmost points of the empire
she is a successful leader who deserves the utmost respect
Noun
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 on the Web
David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2025
The tenets of the Society of Jesus emphasize the utmost importance of service, advocacy for the poor, and the promotion of peace.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Ian Parkes, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
In my position, there were constant skirmishes with defenders, who did their utmost to put you off or gain an advantage.
—Alan Shearer, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for utmost
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Adjective
Profitability—the point at which a film’s investors begin to see returns—is also of the utmost importance to studio bigwigs, sometimes to movie-lovers’ chagrin.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2025
The tenets of the Society of Jesus emphasize the utmost importance of service, advocacy for the poor, and the promotion of peace.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
Joseph is, in essence, the conductor of the Norris orchestra, trying to get each engineer underneath him to do their utmost for Norris and the car.
—Ian Parkes, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
In my position, there were constant skirmishes with defenders, who did their utmost to put you off or gain an advantage.
—Alan Shearer, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for utmost
Cite this Entry
“Utmost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utmost. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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