Standard Lemma guide

optimization

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, US: /ˌɑptəmaɪˈzeɪʃən/
  • Canada, US: /-məˈzeɪʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: AA0 P T AH0 M AH0 Z EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The reduction of a program or algorithm to its most efficient form, as during compilation, by removing unused portions of code and improving the speed or resource usage of others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, programming, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the act of rendering optimal

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the simultaneous optimization of growth and profitability
  • in an optimization problem we seek values of the variables that lead to an optimal value of the function that is to be optimized
  • to promote the optimization and diversification of agricultural products

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: optimisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: improvement

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h1épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h1epi Proto-Indo-European *-tm̥mos ? Latin optimus Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ῐσμός (-ĭsmós)der. Latin -ismusbor. French -isme French optim(isme) ▲ Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istabor. French -iste French optimistebor. English optimistbf. English optimize Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English optimization From optimize + -ation.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: اِسْتِمْثَال (istimṯāl) — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Arabic: مُلَاءَمَة (mulāʔama) — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Armenian: օպտիմալացում (ōptimalacʻum) — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Bulgarian: оптимиза́ция (optimizácija) — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Catalan: optimització — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Chinese Mandarin: 優化 /优化 (yōuhuà) — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Czech: optimalizace — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Danish: optimering — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Dutch: optimalisatie — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Finnish: optimointi — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • French: optimisation — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Galician: optimización — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Georgian: ოპტიმიზაცია (oṗṭimizacia) — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • German: Optimierung — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Greek: βελτιστοποίηση (veltistopoíisi) — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Hungarian: optimalizálás — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Icelandic: bestun — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Indonesian: optimalisasi — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Indonesian: pengoptimalan — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Italian: ottimizzazione — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Japanese: 最適化 (saitekika) — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Malay: pengoptimuman — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Norwegian Bokmål: optimalisering — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: optimalisering — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Polish: optymalizacja — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Portuguese: otimização — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Portuguese: optimização — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Romanian: optimizare — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Russian: оптимиза́ция (optimizácija) — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Serbo-Croatian: optimizacija — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Serbo-Croatian: optimalizacija — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Slovak: optimalizácia — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Spanish: optimización — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Swedish: optimering — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Turkish: optimizasyon — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
  • Ukrainian: оптиміза́ція (optymizácija) — the design and operation of a system or process to make it as good as possible in some defined sense
Real reading context

optimization in complete knowledge articles