Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Ultimate?

\Ul"ti*mate\, a. [LL. ultimatus last, extreme, fr. L. ultimare to come to an end, fr. ultimus the farthest, last, superl. from the same source as ulterior. See {Ulterior}, and cf. {Ultimatum}.] 1. Farthest; most remote in space or time; extreme; last; final. My harbor, and my ultimate repose. --Milton. Many actions apt to procure fame are not conductive to this our ultimate happiness. --Addison. 2. Last in a train of progression or consequences; tended toward by all that precedes; arrived at, as the last result; final. Those ultimate truths and those universal laws of thought which we can not rationally contradict. --Coleridge. 3. Incapable of further analysis; incapable of further division or separation; constituent; elemental; as, an ultimate constituent of matter. {Ultimate analysis} (Chem.), organic analysis. See under {Organic}. {Ultimate belief}. See under {Belief}. {Ultimate ratio} (Math.), the limiting value of a ratio, or that toward which a series tends, and which it does not pass. Syn: Final; conclusive. See {Final}.
\Ul"ti*mate\, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. {Ultimated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Ultimating}.] 1. To come or bring to an end; to eventuate; to end. [R.] 2. To come or bring into use or practice. [R.]