ultimate 1 of 2

adjective

ˈəl-tə-mət How to pronounce ultimate (audio)
Definition of ultimatenext
1
as in maximum
of the greatest or highest degree or quantity the ultimate speed yet attained by a land-based vehicle

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in final
following all others of the same kind in order or time the ultimate speaker at today's meeting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in farthest
most distant from a center the ultimate edges of the universe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ultimate

2 of 2

noun

1
as in consummation

Related Words
2
as in utmost

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ultimate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ultimate are final, last, and terminal. While all these words mean "following all others (as in time, order, or importance)," ultimate implies the last degree or stage of a long process beyond which further progress or change is impossible.

the ultimate collapse of the system

When would final be a good substitute for ultimate?

The words final and ultimate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, final applies to that which definitely closes a series, process, or progress.

final day of school

In what contexts can last take the place of ultimate?

While the synonyms last and ultimate are close in meaning, last applies to something that comes at the end of a series but does not always imply that the series is completed or stopped.

last page of a book
last news we had of him

When could terminal be used to replace ultimate?

The synonyms terminal and ultimate are sometimes interchangeable, but terminal may indicate a limit of extension, growth, or development.

terminal phase of a disease

How does the adjective ultimate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ultimate are final, last, and terminal. While all these words mean "following all others (as in time, order, or importance)," ultimate implies the last degree or stage of a long process beyond which further progress or change is impossible.

the ultimate collapse of the system

When would final be a good substitute for ultimate?

The words final and ultimate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, final applies to that which definitely closes a series, process, or progress.

final day of school

In what contexts can last take the place of ultimate?

While the synonyms last and ultimate are close in meaning, last applies to something that comes at the end of a series but does not always imply that the series is completed or stopped.

last page of a book
last news we had of him

When could terminal be used to replace ultimate?

The synonyms terminal and ultimate are sometimes interchangeable, but terminal may indicate a limit of extension, growth, or development.

terminal phase of a disease

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ultimate
Adjective
Apple iPad Deal Move the ultimate portable powerhouse from your wish list to your backpack. —Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 5 Mar. 2026 Pollack’s self-confidence is the ultimate security blanket for the Warriors. —Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
Loro Piana was a master class experience in the ultimate of Italian refinement and materiality. —Luisa Zargani, WWD, 2 Mar. 2025 Mira Chai Hyde has a client roster that reads like the ultimate who’s who. —Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ultimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ultimate
  1. maximum
  2. final
  3. farthest
  4. consummation
  5. utmost
  6. most
  7. latest
  8. epitome
Adjective
  • If convicted of all counts, Childers faces a maximum sentence of eight years and eight months in state prison and one year in county jail.
    — Andrea Klick, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
  • More importantly, that is merely the average salary, which will be heavily influenced by the newly lucrative maximum contracts.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of maximum
Adjective
  • Florida falls to 30-26-3 and remains eight points back of the Boston Bruins for the Eastern Conference’s final wild card spot with 23 games left to play.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Closer Jack Champlin continued to blank the Lancers, getting the final two outs, one on a strikeout.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Definition of final
Adjective
  • That's close to the farthest point in its orbit, which is 252,088 miles away, according to NASA.
    — Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2023
  • At its farthest, the capsule was more than 268,000 miles from Earth.
    — Marcia Dunn, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2022
Definition of farthest
Noun
  • If the first four episodes of Bridgerton’s swoon-worthy fourth season were about desperate, hungry yearning, then the final four were more about, er, consummation—complete with secret trysts, steaming hot baths, false identities, and genuinely big shocks.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2026
  • All would make consummating a relationship difficult—but more difficult still, consummation might have been physically impossible for Hitler.
    — Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026
Definition of consummation
Noun
  • Guests are pampered in personal huts that provide the utmost in privacy and silence and can choose from a full menu of options, including massages and facials that highlight local traditions and skin-healthy ingredients.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Kornyev does his utmost to meet the prisoner, a victim of agents of the secret police, the NKVD.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of utmost
Adjective
  • On an average day more than 220 children were held, with most of those detained longer than 24 hours sent to Dilley.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Doing so will put you in a better place for any upcoming or ongoing tough discussions with the people who matter most to you.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 1 Mar. 2026
Definition of most
Adjective
  • The video is the latest in a lengthy stream of controversies the probation department has faced in recent years.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2023
  • The shooting happened the day before the fifth anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting that killed 17 and is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the U.S.
    — Joey Cappelletti and Mike Householder, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Feb. 2023
Definition of latest
Noun
  • The Victory Christian High School boys’ basketball team is the epitome of a team.
    — John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
  • The classic check pattern, two colors of the same hue in a basketweave, was popularized by the English and the Dutch in the 18th and 19th centuries and quickly became the epitome of countryside quiet luxury that continues to charm designers to this day.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 26 Feb. 2026
Definition of epitome

Browse Nearby Words

ulterior
ultimate
ultimately
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Cite this Entry

“Ultimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ultimate. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of ultimate for Spanish Speakers

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