always used before a noun
1
: greatest or highest in degree, number, or amount
This is a matter of the utmost importance/urgency. [=this is an extremely important/urgent matter]
I have the utmost [=greatest] respect for the teachers here.
2
formal
: farthest or most distant
the utmost limit
: the highest point or degree that can be reached
This new system represents the utmost in modern technology.
It's designed to provide the utmost in comfort.
We did our utmost to help. [=we did all that we could do to help]
We had to push ourselves to the utmost to finish the job in time.
Cite this Entry
“Utmost.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/utmost. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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