adv · 5 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.
UK:/ˈʌl.tɪ.mɪt.lɪ/
UK:/ˈʌl.tɪ.mət.li/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American:/ˈʌl.tɪ.mɪt.li/
Canada, General-American:[ˈʌl.tɪ.mɪɾ.li]
Canada, General-American:/ˈʌl.tə.mət.li/
Australian:/ˈɐl.tɪ.mɪt.li/
Australian:[ˈɐl.tɪ.mɪɾ.li]
CMU ARPABET:AH1 L T AH0 M AH0 T L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
Indicating the last item.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
Firstly,... Secondly,... Ultimately,...
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: at last, finally, in the end, at length, endly, last, lastly, ultimately
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
Indicating the most important action.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
Ultimately, he will have to make a decision before the end of the week.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: at the end of the day, when all is said and done, at bottom, at heart, au fond, basically, by definition, deep down, essentially, fundamentally, in effect, in essence, in the end, in the final analysis, substantially, ultimately
Antonyms: none provided
3
adv
Meaning 3
In the end; finally.
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
4
adv
Meaning 4
Used to indicate the etymon at which a given etymological derivation terminates.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
Examples
Cognate to Gottscheerish boßər, bàsser. Ultimately cognate to standard High German Wasser.
Shortened from maxiature, ultimately from Latin maximus ("large").
Ultimately from Latin equus ("horse").
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adverb
Meaning 5
as the end result of a succession or process
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
ultimately he had to give in
at long last the winter was over
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: finally, in the end, at last, at long last
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English ultimate Middle English -ly English -ly English ultimately From ultimate + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
65 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
накрая
(nakraja)
— indicating the last item
Catalan:
finalment
— indicating the last item
Chinese Mandarin:
最後 /最后
(zuìhòu)
— indicating the last item
Czech:
nakonec
— indicating the last item
Danish:
til sidst
— indicating the last item
Finnish:
viimeiseksi
— indicating the last item
Finnish:
lopuksi
— indicating the last item
French:
ultimo
— indicating the last item
Georgian:
საბოლოოდ
(sabolood)
— indicating the last item
Georgian:
საბოლოო ჯამში
(saboloo ǯamši)
— indicating the last item
Georgian:
ბოლოს და ბოლოს
— indicating the last item
German:
schließlich
— indicating the last item
Hungarian:
végül
— indicating the last item
Italian:
infine
— indicating the last item
Italian:
per ultimo
— indicating the last item
Italian:
per ultima cosa
— indicating the last item
Italian:
in fin dei conti
— indicating the last item
Japanese:
最終的に
(saishūteki ni)
— indicating the last item
Norwegian Bokmål:
til sist
— indicating the last item
Norwegian Bokmål:
til slutt
— indicating the last item
Persian:
درنهایت
(darnahâyat)
— indicating the last item
Persian:
نهایتاً
(nahâyatan)
— indicating the last item
Polish:
ostatecznie
— indicating the last item
Portuguese:
finalmente
— indicating the last item
Portuguese:
no fim das contas
— indicating the last item
Romanian:
la urma urmei
— indicating the last item
Romanian:
în definitiv
— indicating the last item
Russian:
в конце́ концо́в
(v koncé koncóv)
— indicating the last item
Russian:
наконе́ц
— indicating the last item
Russian:
после́днее
(poslédneje)
— indicating the last item
Spanish:
finalmente
— indicating the last item
Spanish:
por último
— indicating the last item
Spanish:
últimamente
— indicating the last item
Turkish:
nihayet
— indicating the last item
Ukrainian:
зре́штою
(zréštoju)
— indicating the last item
Walloon:
al fén
— indicating the last item
Walloon:
al fén do conte
— indicating the last item
Bulgarian:
в края на краищата
(v kraja na kraištata)
— indicating the most important action
Chinese Mandarin:
最終 /最终
(zuìzhōng)
— indicating the most important action
Danish:
til syvende og sidst
— indicating the most important action
Danish:
når alt kommer til alt
— indicating the most important action
Danish:
når det kommer til stykket
— indicating the most important action
Finnish:
ennen kaikkea
— indicating the most important action
German:
letztendlich
— indicating the most important action
Irish:
i ndeireadh na dála
— indicating the most important action
Italian:
alla fine
— indicating the most important action
Italian:
per ultimo
— indicating the most important action
Italian:
in definitiva
— indicating the most important action
Japanese:
最終的に
(saishūteki ni)
— indicating the most important action
Norwegian Bokmål:
til syvende og sist
— indicating the most important action
Norwegian Bokmål:
når alt kommer til alt
— indicating the most important action
Norwegian Bokmål:
når det kommer til stykket
— indicating the most important action
Portuguese:
principalmente
— indicating the most important action
Portuguese:
no fim das contas
— indicating the most important action
Russian:
в коне́чном счёте
(v konéčnom sčóte)
— indicating the most important action
Russian:
в коне́чном ито́ге
(v konéčnom itóge)
— indicating the most important action
Spanish:
a fin de cuentas
— indicating the most important action
Spanish:
al fin y al cabo
— indicating the most important action
Spanish:
en última instancia
— indicating the most important action
Spanish:
ultimadamente
— indicating the most important action
Spanish:
a la larga
— indicating the most important action
Spanish:
en definitiva
— indicating the most important action
Spanish:
últimamente
— indicating the most important action
Turkish:
sonunda
— indicating the most important action
Ukrainian:
зре́штою
(zréštoju)
— indicating the most important action
