Ultimate means final, greatest, or most extreme. When you hear about the ultimate goal of a project, that's the final result everyone is working toward. The ultimate destination of your family road trip is the place you're trying to reach at the end.

The word also describes something that can't be exceeded or surpassed. If your friend calls a rollercoaster the ultimate thrill ride, they mean nothing could possibly be more exciting. When a chef creates what they consider the ultimate chocolate cake, they believe they've achieved perfection in that recipe.

In many contexts, ultimate points to something fundamental or essential that everything else builds upon. Scientists searching for the ultimate cause of a phenomenon want to find the deepest explanation, the one that accounts for everything else. A philosopher asking ultimate questions is exploring the biggest, most important ideas about existence and meaning.

Ultimate can also be a noun. It can refer to Ultimate Frisbee, a fast-paced team sport played with a flying disc that combines elements of soccer, football, and basketball.