utmost

Utmost is a word used as an adjective to indicate the greatest degree, extent, or amount. It commonly appears in phrases such as utmost importance, utmost caution, and to the utmost. The noun form, the utmost, denotes the greatest possible extent or amount, as in they did the utmost to protect the passengers. The idiom to the utmost emphasizes the maximum level of effort or extent.

Etymology and history: Utmost derives from Old English utmǣst, literally meaning outermost or outmost, formed from ut meaning out and mæst/maest meaning most. The sense shifted from a spatial notion of outermost to a more general sense of maximal degree, and by Middle English it had become a standard term for emphasizing extremity or intensity.

Usage notes: Utmost is relatively formal and more common in written English. It typically modifies nouns: utmost care, utmost respect, utmost importance. In predicative constructions, one says, It is of the utmost importance, or The task is of the utmost difficulty. The noun phrase the utmost can stand as a subject or object: we did the utmost. It is near-synonymous with greatest, maximum, or extreme, but its formal tone can affect suitability depending on context. In casual speech, more everyday expressions like very or extremely are often preferred.

See also: ultimate, maximal, extreme, maximum.