Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use ultimate to describe the original source or cause of something. □  Plants are the ultimate source of all foodstuffs. □  The ultimate cause of what's happened seems to have been the advertising campaign.

3 ADJ [ADJ n] You use ultimate to describe the most important or powerful thing of a particular kind. □  …the ultimate power of the central government. □  Of course, the ultimate authority remained the presidency.

4 ADJ [ADJ n] You use ultimate to describe the most extreme and unpleasant example of a particular thing. □  Bringing back the death penalty would be the ultimate abuse of human rights.

5 ADJ [ADJ n] You use ultimate to describe the best possible example of a particular thing. □  Caviar and oysters on ice are generally considered the ultimate luxury foods.

6 PHRASE The ultimate in something is the best or most advanced example of it. □ [+ in ] This hotel is the ultimate in luxury. SYNONYMS ultimate ADJ 1

final:Astronauts will make a final attempt today to rescue a communications satellite.

eventual:The eventual aim is reunification.

last:This is his last chance as prime minister.

ul|ti|mate|ly ◆◇◇ /ʌ lt I mətli/

1 ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] Ultimately means finally, after a long and often complicated series of events. □  …a tough but ultimately worthwhile struggle.

2 ADV You use ultimately to indicate that what you are saying is the most important point in a discussion. □  Ultimately, Bismarck's revisionism scarcely affected or damaged British interests at all. SYNONYMS ultimately ADV

1

finally:The word was finally given for us to get on board.

eventually:The flight eventually got away six hours late.

in the end:I toyed with the idea of calling the police, but in the end I didn't.

2

fundamentally:He can be very charming, but he is fundamentally a bully.

essentially:Essentially, vines and grapes need water, heat and light.

basically:Battery charging systems remain basically the same as those in use half a century ago.

primarily:Public order is primarily an urban problem.

ul|ti|ma|tum /ʌ lt I me I təm/ (ultimatums or ultimata ) N‑COUNT An ultimatum is a warning to someone that unless they act in a particular way, action will be taken against them. □ [+ to ] I was given an ultimatum to lose weight or lose my place on the team.

PREFIX ultra-

forms adjectives that refer to people and things that possess a quality to a very large degree. For example, an ultra-light fabric is extremely light.

ultra|ma|rine /ʌ ltrəməriː n/ COLOUR Ultramarine is used to describe things that are very bright blue in colour. □  …an ultramarine sky.

ultra|son|ic /ʌ ltrəsɒ n I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Ultrasonic sounds have very high frequencies, which human beings cannot hear.

ultra|sound /ʌ ltrəsaʊnd/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] Ultrasound is sound waves which travel at such a high frequency that they cannot be heard by humans. Ultrasound is used in medicine to get pictures of the inside of people's bodies. □  I had an ultrasound scan to see how the pregnancy was progressing.

ultra|vio|let /ʌ ltrəva I ələt/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Ultraviolet light or radiation is what causes your skin to become darker in colour after you have been in sunlight. In large amounts ultraviolet light is harmful. □  The sun's ultraviolet rays are responsible for both tanning and burning.