ultieme

Ultieme is a Dutch adjective meaning ultimate, final, or supreme. It is used to describe something at the highest degree or the final, definitive version of something. The term often conveys a sense of culmination or the best possible form, rather than mere intensity.

Etymology and usage

Ultieme derives from the Latin ultimus, via Old French ultime, and entered Dutch in the Early Modern period. In contemporary Dutch, it is used before nouns to indicate the utmost degree of a quality. Examples include “de ultieme oplossing” (the ultimate solution), “de ultieme prijs” (the ultimate prize), and “een ultieme poging” (an ultimate/last-ditch attempt). In normal prose, the form adapts with the definite article or plural forms, as in “de ultieme beslissingen” or “de ultieme versie”.

Nuance and scope

The word carries more than a simple intensifier; it implies finality, extremity, or the best possible outcome within a given context. It is common in both Dutch- and Flemish-language contexts and is used across formal and informal registers. While close in meaning to woorden zoals definitief or absoluut, ultieme emphasizes culmination or extremal quality rather than mere emphasis.

Related terms

Synonyms include definitief, uiterste, or maximaal, depending on context. The English cognate is ultimate. In some cases, speakers may use phrases like “de ultieme droom” to signify a dream that represents the pinnacle or final objective.

See also

Ultimate, definitief, extreem.