Standard Lemma guide

ultimate

adj · noun · verb · 15 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.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈʌltɪmət/
  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /-ɪt/ weak vowel merger
  • Received-Pronunciation: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ʌltɪmət
  • CMU ARPABET: AH1 L T AH0 M AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Final; last in a series.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: conclusive, last, terminal, extreme, final, decisive, definitive, endly, endsome, hindermost, hindmost, ultimate

Antonyms: initial, original

2

adj

Meaning 2

Last in a word or other utterance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Being the greatest possible; maximum; most extreme.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • the ultimate pleasure
  • the ultimate disappointment

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: supreme, utmost, uttermost, extreme, ferocious, exquisite, intense, almighty, greatest, highest, maximal, maximum, passing, raging, ultimate

Antonyms: original, derivative

4

adj

Meaning 4

Being the most distant or extreme; farthest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: outermost, outmost

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

That will happen at some time; eventual.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inevitable

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Last in a train of progression or consequences; tended toward by all that precedes; arrived at, as the last result; final.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adj

Meaning 7

Incapable of further analysis; incapable of further division or separation; constituent; elemental.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • an ultimate constituent of matter

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

The most basic or fundamental of a set of things

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

9

noun

Meaning 9

The final or most distant point; the conclusion

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

10

noun

Meaning 10

The greatest extremity; the maximum

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

11

noun

Meaning 11

Ellipsis of ultimate frisbee or ultimate disc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To finish; to complete.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

adjective

Meaning 13

furthest or highest in degree or order; utmost or extreme

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the ultimate achievement
  • the ultimate question
  • man's ultimate destiny
  • the ultimate insult
  • one's ultimate goal in life

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: proximate

14

adjective satellite

Meaning 14

being the last or concluding element of a series

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the ultimate sonata of that opus
  • a distinction between the verb and noun senses of `conflict' is that in the verb the stress is on the ultimate (or last) syllable

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

noun

Meaning 15

the finest or most superior quality of its kind

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the ultimate in luxury

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: quality

History

Etymology

* From Medieval Latin ultimātus (“furthest, last”), perfect passive participle of ultimō (“to come to an end”) (see -ate (1,2 and 3)), from ultimus (“last, final”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). See ultra-. * (ultimate frisbee): The sport was renamed to avoid the use of the Frisbee trademark.

Across languages

Translations

119 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: после́ден (posléden) — final; last in a series
  • Bulgarian: кра́ен (kráen) — final; last in a series
  • Dutch: definitief — final; last in a series
  • Esperanto: fina — final; last in a series
  • Finnish: viimeinen — final; last in a series
  • French: dernier — final; last in a series
  • Galician: último — final; last in a series
  • Georgian: საბოლოო (saboloo) — final; last in a series
  • Georgian: უკანასკნელი (uḳanasḳneli) — final; last in a series
  • German: ultimativ — final; last in a series
  • Greek: τελικός (telikós) — final; last in a series
  • Greek: έσχατος (éschatos) — final; last in a series
  • Hungarian: utolsó — final; last in a series
  • Indonesian: terakhir — final; last in a series
  • Irish: deiridh — final; last in a series
  • Irish: deireanach — final; last in a series
  • Italian: ultimo — final; last in a series
  • Italian: ultima — final; last in a series
  • Japanese: 終わりの (owari no) — final; last in a series
  • Japanese: 最後の (saigo no) — final; last in a series
  • Macedonian: по́следен (pósleden) — final; last in a series
  • Macedonian: кра́ен (kráen) — final; last in a series
  • Macedonian: за́вршен (závršen) — final; last in a series
  • Macedonian: ко́нечен (kónečen) — final; last in a series
  • Norwegian: endelig — final; last in a series
  • Polish: ostatni — final; last in a series
  • Portuguese: último — final; last in a series
  • Portuguese: última — final; last in a series
  • Russian: после́дний (poslédnij) — final; last in a series
  • Russian: оконча́тельный (okončátelʹnyj) — final; last in a series
  • Russian: кра́йний (krájnij) — final; last in a series
  • Russian: заверши́тельный (zaveršítelʹnyj) — final; last in a series
  • Spanish: último — final; last in a series
  • Swedish: ultimat — final; last in a series
  • Swedish: slutlig — final; last in a series
  • Swedish: slutgiltig — final; last in a series
  • Ukrainian: оста́нній (ostánnij) — final; last in a series
  • Ukrainian: остато́чний (ostatóčnyj) — final; last in a series
  • Ukrainian: кра́йній (krájnij) — final; last in a series
  • Bulgarian: после́ден (posléden) — last in a word or other utterance
  • Finnish: viimeinen — last in a word or other utterance
  • Finnish: loppu- — last in a word or other utterance
  • Hungarian: hátsó — last in a word or other utterance
  • Hungarian: hátulsó — last in a word or other utterance
  • Hungarian: leghátsó — last in a word or other utterance
  • Hungarian: leghátulsó — last in a word or other utterance
  • Indonesian: ultima — last in a word or other utterance
  • Bulgarian: най‐висш — greatest or maximum
  • Bulgarian: най‐голя́м — greatest or maximum
  • Bulgarian: пъ́лен (pǎ́len) — greatest or maximum
  • Bulgarian: съвърше́н (sǎvǎršén) — greatest or maximum
  • Esperanto: la plej granda — greatest or maximum
  • Esperanto: pleja — greatest or maximum
  • Esperanto: maksimuma — greatest or maximum
  • Estonian: ülim — greatest or maximum
  • Finnish: äärimmäinen — greatest or maximum
  • Finnish: korkein — greatest or maximum
  • Georgian: უკიდურესი (uḳiduresi) — greatest or maximum
  • Georgian: მაქსიმალური (maksimaluri) — greatest or maximum
  • German: ultimativ — greatest or maximum
  • Greek: μέγιστος (mégistos) — greatest or maximum
  • Greek: απόλυτος (apólytos) — greatest or maximum
  • Hebrew: אולטימטיבי (ultimatívi) — greatest or maximum
  • Hungarian: végső — greatest or maximum
  • Indonesian: pamungkas — greatest or maximum
  • Indonesian: terpungkas — greatest or maximum
  • Irish: is fearr — greatest or maximum
  • Italian: estremo — greatest or maximum
  • Italian: estrema — greatest or maximum
  • Japanese: 究極の (kyūkyoku no) — greatest or maximum
  • Macedonian: на́јголем (nájgolem) — greatest or maximum
  • Macedonian: врвен (vrven) — greatest or maximum
  • Norwegian: ultimat — greatest or maximum
  • Polish: największy — greatest or maximum
  • Polish: najwyższy — greatest or maximum
  • Portuguese: derradeiro — greatest or maximum
  • Russian: наибо́льший (naibólʹšij) — greatest or maximum
  • Russian: наивы́сший (naivýsšij) — greatest or maximum
  • Spanish: mayor — greatest or maximum
  • Spanish: ultimado — greatest or maximum
  • Swedish: slutliga — greatest or maximum
  • Ukrainian: найбі́льший (najbílʹšyj) — greatest or maximum
  • Ukrainian: максима́льний (maksymálʹnyj) — greatest or maximum
  • Bulgarian: най‐дале́чен — most distant
  • Bulgarian: най‐отдалече́н — most distant
  • Finnish: etäisin — most distant
  • Finnish: kaukaisin — most distant
  • Georgian: უკიდურესი (uḳiduresi) — most distant
  • German: äußerster — most distant
  • Hungarian: legtávolabbi — most distant
  • Hungarian: legkülső — most distant
  • Indonesian: terjauh — most distant
  • Macedonian: најда́лечен (najdálečen) — most distant
  • Russian: наидальне́йший (naidalʹnéjšij) — most distant
  • Serbo-Croatian: najdalji — most distant
  • Spanish: último — most distant
  • Ukrainian: найвідда́леніший (najviddálenišyj) — most distant
  • Bulgarian: немину́ем (neminúem) — eventual
  • Bulgarian: неизбе́жен (neizbéžen) — eventual
  • Finnish: lopullinen — eventual
  • Italian: definitivo — eventual
  • Italian: definitiva — eventual
  • Italian: conclusivo — eventual
  • Italian: conclusiva — eventual
  • Italian: ultimativo — eventual
  • Italian: ultimativa — eventual
  • Italian: finale — eventual
  • Macedonian: ко́нечен (kónečen) — eventual
  • Macedonian: кра́ен (kráen) — eventual
  • Russian: коне́чный (konéčnyj) — eventual
  • Russian: оконча́тельный (okončátelʹnyj) — eventual
  • Ukrainian: остато́чний (ostatóčnyj) — eventual
  • Bulgarian: крайност (krajnost) — the greatest extremity
  • Finnish: äärimmäisyys — the greatest extremity
  • Finnish: ääri — the greatest extremity
  • Māori: ikeiketanga — the greatest extremity
  • Bulgarian: приклю́чвам (prikljúčvam) — Translations
  • Bulgarian: приклю́ча (prikljúča) — Translations
  • Spanish: ultimar — Translations
Real reading context

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